It’s Official! Jimmy Graham Gets Saints Franchise Tag!
By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter
In an expected but nonetheless welcomed announcement for New Orleans Saints fans, Jimmy Graham will receive the franchise tag ahead of Monday’s league deadline. This comes in the wake of several weeks of contract negotiations between the team and the star tight end.
However, although fans can rest assured that their dominant offensive force will be wearing black and gold for the foreseeable future, the battle isn’t over yet. According to ESPN.com’s News Service, the two parties are still divided over whether Graham will be classified as a Tight End of Wide Receiver. And, interestingly, it actually does matter what positions a player is labeled as:
The franchise tags for tight ends and receivers are expected to be about $6.7 million and $11.5 million, respectively. A favorable ruling would give one side serious leverage in long-term contract negotiations.
In what might be a statement that will foreshadow the intensity oft he weeks ahead, General Manager Mickey Loomis was seems convinced that their Pro Bowler is a Tight End. "Isn’t that what we drafted him as? Isn’t that what he made the Pro Bowl as? That’s what we see him as, a tight end.“
But, Graham and his agent seem to have a compelling argument at their disposal as well:
Graham’s camp would counter that the league’s collective bargaining agreement specifically states the franchise tag designation is based on the position "at which the franchise player participated in the most plays during the prior league year.”
If the two sides can’t come to an agreement, a neutral, third-party arbitrator would be retained to hear arguments and make a final ruling.
Graham and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, likely will file a grievance through the players’ association, asking that Graham be considered a receiver because he lined up out wide or in the slot on 67 percent of his snaps last season.
Regardless of how much he gets paid, this Saints fan is ecstatic that he will continue his career in the Big Easy!
Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experience in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and perspective and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.
