Jimmy Graham’s Next Contract with Saints Will Affect Future Tight End Deals

July 5, 2014   ·   Sean O'Donnell   ·   Jump to comments

The long controversy is over, and Jimmy Graham is officially an NFL tight end.
Earlier this year, the New Orleans Saints assigned the franchise tag to their biggest offensive weapon, and Graham argued—and lost—that he should be considered a wide receiver for monetary reasons due to his time split out wide.
So, why did Graham lose the arbitration?
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport summed it up nicely in this tweet:
It really does make sense.
Now the tight end salary controversy is finally behind us, right?
Nope.
Graham will be paid a $7.05 million salary as a franchise-tagged tight end rather than the $12.3 million a wide receiver would obtain. However, that has nothing to do with his asking price on a new contract with the Saints.
While there is a cap on a player's franchise tag, there isn't on a multiyear contract.
This means even though Graham may have lost the battle against the NFL regarding being paid as a wide receiver, the w...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com