New Orleans Saints NFL 2015 Trade News, Rumors: TE Jimmy Graham to Seattle
In a flurry of trades on the first day of the new league year in the NFL none were more surprising than the New Orleans Saints deciding to deal away tight end Jimmy Graham. It was not even a year ago that the Saints signed their star TE to a four-year $40 million dollar contract and is due a $5 million dollar bonus on March 15th. It seems odd the Saints would make that kind of investment in a quality player to trade him away less than a year later.
Of course what they got in return could be a key factor here. The Saints get from the Seattle Seahawks Center Max Unger and a 2015 first round draft pick. Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Saints are sending a fourth round 2015 pick along with Graham to Seattle.
ESPN said this about Graham: "Graham, 28, is regarded as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, a player who often lines up as a wide receiver. He has 4,752 receiving yards and 51 touchdowns since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2010. In his five seasons with the Saints, Graham had more receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than any other tight end in team history."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
For Seattle, they get the TE weapon that their offense desperately needs. They add another weapon for Russell Wilson to use, but the contract may eventually make it harder for the team to work out a new deal with their star QB.
The Saints get a valuable asset on their offensive line and now may have enough picks to make a move up to draft a young QB. There are some rumors that they may trade QB Drew Brees, which would leave them without a suitable signal caller unless they package their two first round picks to move up and select a new franchise QB.
