Jimmy Graham, Saints agree to 4-year, $40M contract

[KitsapGuy]

Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints reached an agreement on a four-year, $40 million contract that makes the pass-catcher the highest-paid tight end in the league, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, per a source involved in the deal. The team later confirmed that they agreed to terms on a multi-year deal.

Graham received a $12 million signing bonus and between $20 to $21 million of the deal is guaranteed, Rapoport reported. Graham will carry a $4 million cap number for 2014. He will earn $21 million over the first two years of the contract and $30 million over three years.

The tight end's new contract places him above Rob Gronkowski's annual average salary of $9 million per season. Graham also got a higher guaranteed number than Gronk's $16.5 million on the Patriots' six-year, $53 million extension signed in 2012.

The four-year pact gives Graham another shot at free agency when he is 31 years old.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... _atl_patra

 

[RolandDeschain]

I wonder if he'll still disappear against us?

 

[HHawk121]

I wonder if he'll still disappear against us?

I don't. He has fear firmly entrenched in his eyes. :lol:

 

[ZagHawk]

I don't know if any of you play video games, but there's thing this called "metagame" where the game's balance continually shifts despite the overall same pieces as people try to find the best counters to how people currently play the game. I feel like a lot of teams went to receiving tight ends as teams couldn't handle it having smaller players on the secondary. I think if the Seahawks continue to work this path for a few more years and prove their currently style is the answer to the once effective receiving tight ends path, the game will shift again.

 

[samwize77]

I wonder if he'll still disappear against us?

He didn't completely disappear. He just didn't want a ride on the KamTrak.

 

[homerun1970]

He sure looked as though he wanted to completely disappear. If a hole had opened in the turf he would have gladly taken hell over what he saw coming.

 

[IndyHawk]

With just Brees and Jimmy-how much of next years cap do they hit it for?

 

[Jville]

Nothing phony or inflated about the reported Saints/Graham numbers. They are for real. >>> [urltargetblank]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/17/graham-gets-a-real-10-million-a-year/[/urltargetblank]

 

[AsylumGuido]

With just Brees and Jimmy-how much of next years cap do they hit it for?

By next year I am guessing you mean 2015. Graham will count $11M and Brees is on track to count $26.5M, but it is anticipated that Brees will restructure and extend to radically lower the 2015 and 2016 cap hits.