Extra Points: Saints, Suh, Blackmon
Things got weird between the Saints and tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason but everything has been smoothed over now that Graham has a new deal, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “Look, one of the best phone calls of the summer was he and I having a chance to visit the day of [the signing] and just touch base and kind of get moving towards this training camp,” said coach Sean Payton. Payton went on to praise Graham and his agent Jimmy Sexton for the way they handled the process, an unusual series of events that included an arbitration hearing to determine whether Graham should be considered a tight end or wide receiver for franchise tag purposes. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- The Lions are not optimistic about signing Ndamukong Suh to a new contract, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN. Suh enters camp counting $22.4MM against the Lions’ salary cap and Detroit had hoped to gain some cap flexibility in a new deal.
- Marshawn Lynch is holding out for more money from the Seahawks a day after Jamaal Charles reworked his deal with the Chiefs, but it’s hard to compare the two situations, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. For starters, Charles was quite underpaid while Lynch’s deal put him amongst the top five backs in the league. While its understandable that Lynch is holding out, Fitzgerald concludes that Charles was far more deserving of the raise he received.
- Jaguars owner Shad Khan says that he won’t be releasing Justin Blackmon after his latest arrest, but Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com says they should take a stand and do it. The wide receiver isn’t being paid and doesn’t count against the salary cap or roster limit, but releasing him would send a message to the rest of the team that his type of behavior will not be accepted.
Minor Moves: Seahawks, Saints, Panthers
We rounded up the NFL’s minor moves this afternoon and we’ll round up the latest here..
- The Seahawks are set to sign wide receiver Morrell Presley, who was with them earlier this offseason, tweets Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
- Saints outside linebacker Cheta Ozougwu has cleared waivers and been placed on New Orleans’ IR, according to MIke Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- In addition to Fernando Velasco, the Panthers have added another former Titans lineman in Kevin Matthews, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean. Matthews recently tried out for Miami but didn’t catch on there.
- Defensive tackle Chris Whaley, who suffered a knee injury, has cleared waivers and reverted back to the Cowboys IR where he can rehab for the season, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
- The Browns claimed offensive tackle Abasi Salimu off waivers from the Rams, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The Browns also waived former Duke wide receiver Conner Vernon, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter) adds that defensive back Royce Adams and linebacker Brandon Magee have also been cut by Cleveland.
- LInebacker Darrin Kitchens (leg contusion) cleared waivers today and is now on the Bills’ injured reserve list, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
- The Packers cut linebacker Shaun Lewis, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Cowboys cut Jarrod Pughsley from the injured reserve today with an injury settlement, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Panthers cut former University of Miami center Jared Wheeler, Wilson tweets. Wheeler was one of nine UDFAs signed by the Panthers back on May 12th.
- The Broncos signed former Indiana kicker Mitch Ewald, Wilson tweets.
Minor Moves: Saints, Rams, Browns, Bills
The NFL’s transactions wire is picking up as we approach the end of July, with notable players like Joel Dreessen and Larry English involved in roster moves today. Several teams have finalized a series of more under-the-radar moves as well, which we’ll round up right here:
- The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Jeremy Grable and offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter). To help make room for the duo, the Bucs released cornerback D.J. Moore.
- Former Ravens linebacker Adrian Hamilton has signed with the Chargers, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
- The Saints have signed nose tackle Tyrone Ezell and linebacker Marcus Thompson, clearing roster spots for the new additions by cutting nose tackle Moses McCray and waiving outside linebacker Cheta Ozougwu with a failed physical designation. The team has the details on its newest signees in a press release.
- The Rams completed a series of roster moves today, signing four players – linebacker Pat Schiller, linebacker Lawrence Wilson, offensive tackle D.J. Morrell, and offensive tackle R.J. Dill – and cutting four others — offensive lineman Abasi Salimu, wideout Dionte Spencer, linebacker Caleb McSurdy, and linebacker Tavarius Wilson (Twitter links via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).
- A day after being cut by the Chargers, center Nick McDonald has been claimed off waivers by the Browns, tweets Brian McIntyre. Cleveland had an opening on its 90-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary to make room for the offensive lineman.
- One linebacker has been swapped for another in Buffalo, where the Bills signed Western Kentucky product Xavius Boyd to a contract after having waived-injured Darrin Kitchens, who is dealing with a lower body injury (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- The Texans have waived fullback Brad Smelley and defensive end Tim Jackson, and also signed tight end Chris Coyle, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). As ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan tweets, Jackson received the “failure to disclose physical condition” designation when he was cut.
- That “failure to disclose physical condition” designation is rarely used, but linebacker Billy Boyko also received it when he was waived by the Panthers, according to Caplan (Twitter link).
- Caplan also tweets that former Broncos safety Eric Hagg has officially been placed on the team’s reserve/retired list. We heard yesterday that Hagg had decided to retire.
Minor Moves: Caussin, Adams, McCray
The Redskins have signed tight end Mike Caussin, recently released by the Bills, and waived long-snapper Kyle Nelson, per Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Caussin (6-5, 243) entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played in six games, catching five balls for 41 yards for the Bills in 2011, the last time he appeared in a game. He missed the 2012 season because of a torn ACL and was sidelined by a hip injury in 2013.
In other transactions…
- The Giants waived Kris Adams (failed physical) from the PUP list, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Saints have cut defensive tackle Moses McCray, per ESPN’s Mike Triplett (via Twitter). McCray had signed an undrafted free agent out of Akron.
NFC Notes: Finley, Graham, Giants, Bucs
Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley met with Packers team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie today to go over his most recent MRI scans and to talk about where he stands medically as he continues his effort to resume his NFL career, writes ESPNWisconsin.com’s Jason Wilde. A source told Wilde that there was nothing imminent between Finley and the Packers, but the team continues to monitor his health situation. Another source said that the Packers will have interest in signing Finley if Dr. McKenzie gives it the green light. More from the NFC..
- Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk has the full contract details on Jimmy Graham‘s new pact with the Saints. While many NFL contracts have inflated numbers, Graham really will earn $10MM per year over four years if he plays out the full deal. Graham’s signing bonus is $12 million and his total guarantee is $20.9MM. Graham would get $21MM if he only plays two years of the deal and $30MM if he plays three years of the deal.
- The Giants doled out more than $100MM in player contracts this offseason. Owner John Mara says we shouldn’t get used to it. “It’s not going to happen every year,” Mara said, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News. “We’re not going to have that kind of cap room every year. And listen: If you’re that aggressive every year, there’s something wrong with your organization. But you have to do it every once in awhile.”
- Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com plays fact or fiction with the Buccaneers‘ offense. First up: Is Josh McCown a good enough quarterback to take the Bucs to the playoffs? Yasinskas says yes, but not necessarily out of confidence in the veteran. The former Bears QB doesn’t have to be spectacular for the Bucs to get to the playoffs, he argues, but merely steady.
NFC South Notes: Graham, Falcons, Saints
Earlier this week, the Saints and tight end Jimmy Graham agreed to a four-year, $40MM deal that gives him $21MM in guaranteed money. Graham lost his battle to be classified as a wide receiver, but he still came away with a hefty contract that makes him the highest paid TE in league history. Graham has been the league’s most consistent and productive tight end over the last three years, averaging 90 receptions, 1,169 yards, and 12 touchdowns per season during that span. Here’s more on Graham and other items out of the NFC South..
- The Saints are essentially in “buy now, pay later” mode after giving Graham that contract, writes Jason Fitzgerald of the Sporting News. The Saints now have five top-of-the-market contracts on the roster with quarterback Drew Brees (fourth highest contract among quarterbacks), safety Jairus Byrd (second among safeties), guard Jahri Evans (third among guards) and punter Thomas Morstead (third among punters). In order to employ all these top-tier contract players within the salary cap, the Saints use large signing bonuses and escalating base salaries over the course of the contract.
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter) won’t be surprised if the Falcons announced before training camp that safety Zeke Motta (neck surgery) will be out for the season. That could lead to a release of the 2013 seventh-round pick.
- Quarterbacks aside, Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune argues that the newly-signed Graham is the best skill-position player (other than quarterback) in Saints history. Graham is one of just three Saints skill-position players to earn first-team All-Pro honors in his career.
- Graham told Alex Restrepo of NewOrleansSaints.com that he wants to bring another Super Bowl to the Saints franchise. “I’m beyond excited,” Graham said Tuesday night. “I didn’t get into to football to learn litigation. I got into football to win games with my teammates, friends and coaches. I am extremely happy to get back to what it’s really about.”
NFC Notes: Revis, 49ers, Graham, Cowboys
Cutting Darrelle Revis wasn’t easy for Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith, as Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com writes. “It was not an easy decision because Darrelle’s a great player. But he’s not the only great player in the league. We just felt like we needed, instead of having one great player we thought we could get three. Instead of having one real good player, we felt like we could get three real good players,” Smith said. More out of the NFC..
- A source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) that former UNC linebacker Darius Lipford had a good workout for the 49ers today but he was not signed. Lipford was one of four players in this year’s supplemental draft.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap gives his thoughts on the impact of Jimmy Graham‘s contract with the Saints. While the four-year, $40MM is the largest ever given to a tight end, the three-year cash flows indicate that this deal won’t necessarily be a game changer. With a backloaded deal, Graham’s contract isn’t as far ahead of the contracts given to Rob Gronkowski or Vernon Davis.
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com wonders if Graham’s new deal will set the baseline for Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant. Even though Bryant and Graham (officially, now) play different positions, their numbers have been rather similar over the last three years, so a comp would make some sense. There are currently seven wide receivers earning an average annual value of at least $10MM: Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Percy Harvin, Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe, and Vincent Jackson.
Jimmy Graham, Saints Agree To Four-Year Deal
The Saints and Jimmy Graham have agreed to a new contract that will keep the tight end in New Orleans. The scoop comes from Graham himself, who tweeted, “It’s official I’m bleeding black and gold this morning! Thank you WhoDatNation for all the support.” Shortly thereafter, agent Jimmy Sexton confirmed to Andrew Brandt of ESPN (Twitter link) that a deal is in place and the Saints made an announcement of their own (Twitter link).
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), it’ll be a four-year, $40MM contract, with $21MM in guaranteed money. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk clarifies that only $13MM of that total (a $12MM signing bonus, plus a $1MM 2014 base salary) is fully guaranteed at the time of signing, but there’s virtually no chance the team will be cutting Graham loose before next year’s $8MM salary becomes guaranteed, since it would result in $9MM in dead money on the cap and allow the tight end to hit free agency.
Brandt adds (via Twitter) that the deal includes another $9MM in 2016 and $10MM in 2017, meaning the annual cap hits are $4MM, $11MM, $12MM, and $13MM, respectively. The $10MM average annual value on Graham’s new contract makes him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, surpassing the per-year average on deals signed by Rob Gronkowski ($9MM) and – previously – by Dallas Clark ($9.185MM).
The agreement between Graham and the Saints comes just ahead of the July 15 deadline for franchise players to work out multiyear extensions with their respective clubs. If the two sides hadn’t struck a deal by 3:00pm central time today, Graham would only have been able to play the 2014 season on a one-year contract, giving the Saints the opportunity to use its franchise tag on him again in 2015.
Graham, a former third-round pick, was franchised by the Saints several months ago and was the only player who received the tag and didn’t quickly accept the one-year tender or work out a longer-term deal. Before the 27-year-old agreed to re-sign with the Saints, he filed a grievance disputing his positional designation — the $7.035MM franchise tag for tight ends was significantly less than the $12.312MM he would have earned if he had instead been tagged as a receiver. Graham lined up split out from the offensive line on two-thirds of his snaps in 2013, so his camp felt he had a strong case to be franchised as a wideout rather than a tight end.
However, arbitrator Stephen Burbank ruled in favor of the Saints, determining that a number of factors contributed to Graham being viewed as a tight end. While the NFL’s CBA dictates that a franchise player’s position is the one “at which the franchise player participated in the most plays during the prior league year,” Burbank’s ruling hinged on the fact that Graham participates in tight end meetings, was drafted as a tight end, and lists himself as a tight end on his Twitter page, among other reasons. Burbank also determined that Graham was technically playing tight end when he was detached from but still close to the offensive line — specifically, when he was lined up within four yards of the o-line, which happened a majority of the time.
Graham’s camp filed an appeal challenging Burbank’s decision yesterday, but that was viewed as a procedural move, designed to increase leverage in negotiations and to ensure that Graham could attempt to maximize his 2014 earnings in the event that he and the Saints were unable to compromise on a multiyear extension. That appeal is expected to be dropped now that the two sides have seemingly agreed to a longer pact.
Graham has been the league’s most consistent and productive tight end over the last three years, averaging 90 receptions, 1,169 yards, and 12 touchdowns per season during that span. He figures to continue acting as Drew Brees‘ favorite offensive weapon for years to come after his contract negotiations closely followed the script that Brees and the Saints set two years ago — during the 2012 offseason, Brees was franchised by New Orleans and ultimately worked out a five-year contract with the club just before the July deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints, Graham Closing In On Long-Term Deal
The Saints and Jimmy Graham are “closing in” on a long-term contract agreement that would make the tight end the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). In spite of Graham’s decision to appeal an arbitrator’s ruling on his positional designation, there’s optimism that a deal will be agreed upon by tomorrow’s deadline, according to Schefter.
As I wrote earlier this afternoon, the fact that Graham’s camp appealed arbitrator Stephen Burbank‘s decision that he should be considered a tight end rather than a receiver for franchise tag purposes isn’t necessarily a sign that a long-term extension is unlikely. That appeal just ensures that Graham can attempt to maximize his 2014 earnings, should a multiyear deal not be reached — it could also serve as leverage in talks with New Orleans, since the team would have to account for the fact that a three-person appeals board could overrule Burbank’s decision, making Graham’s franchise tag worth $12.312MM rather than $7.035MM.
In any case, it appears that appeal will be moot, since Graham’s camp and the NFLPA believe the standout pass catcher will have a deal in place with the Saints by tomorrow at 3:00pm central time, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
When I broke down Graham’s situation this morning, I predicted that the two sides would negotiate an extension worth in the neighborhood of $10MM+ per year, with close to $20MM in guaranteed money, assuming it’s a long-term deal.
Jimmy Graham Appeals Franchise Tag Ruling
3:42pm: In a somewhat unexpected turn, Graham has officially appealed Burbank’s ruling of his franchise tag position, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). A three-person appeals board will now revisit the case and either confirm or overturn Burbank’s decision, which stated that Graham should be considered a tight end rather than a wide receiver.
Although not appealing would have been a stronger indication from Graham’s camp that multiyear negotiations are progressing well, the appeal doesn’t necessarily rule out a long-term agreement by tomorrow afternoon. The threat of Burbank’s decision being overturned may serve as leverage for Graham’s side in contract discussions — if the two sides strike an agreement on an extension tomorrow, that appeal could be dropped.
2:28pm: As I outlined this morning, Jimmy Graham‘s camp has until 3:00pm CT today to appeal the decision made by arbitrator Stephen Burbank earlier this month, which assigned the Saints star the tight end franchise salary ($7.035MM) rather than the wide receiver tag ($12.312MM). However, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that an appeal isn’t currently expected.
When I discussed the Graham situation today, I pointed out that an appeal from Graham’s camp could reduce the likelihood of a long-term agreement between the tight end and the Saints. After all, there’d be little reason to appeal the 27-year-old’s 2014 franchise salary in an effort to gain the extra $5MM+ if he were simply going to play under a new long-term deal anyway. Conversely, if no appeal comes, it could signal that the two sides are moving closer to a compromise.
Of course, there are other reasons why Graham’s camp may not be inclined to file an appeal. They may be pessimistic that Burbank’s ruling would have a chance at being overturned, or perhaps turning down the opportunity to appeal represents a sign of good faith as negotiations between the two sides continue. In any case, we should soon find out definitively whether or not an appeal is made, and within another 24 hours, we’ll learn whether Graham and the Saints can strike a multiyear extension to keep him in New Orleans.