Packers should target Jimmy Graham in free agency
Why the Green Bay Packers might add Jimmy Graham to the roster in free agency.
New Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has said he aims to be more aggressive in free agency and there is probably no bigger name up for grabs than Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham.
The Packers have spent the last several years looking for that really good tight end ever since Jermichael Finley‘s career ended in 2013.
They have made many moves at the position.
In 2014 they drafted Richard Rodgers with the 98th overall pick. That year Andrew Quarless was the main man at the position but Rodgers found a lot of playing time. In 2015 Quarless spent most of the year on injured reserve and Rodgers assumed the starting role.
Rodgers has been a solid player as the starter. His career-high season was in 2015 when he had 510 yards and eight TDs. He also had an amazing catch in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions when he caught a 61-yard Hail Mary touchdown with no time left to give the Packers a 27-23 win.
In 2016, the Pack went out and signed veteran TE Jared Cook from the Rams.
Cook spent four years with the Titans and four with the Rams. Despite spending a lot of the year injured, Cook made a huge impact on Green Bay’s playoff run that year. He made one of the greatest catches in playoff history versus Dallas that put Green Bay in range to kick the game-winning field-goal.
In 2017 the Packers did not re-sign Cook to the surprise of many fans and instead added free-agent Martellus Bennett. After a less than impressive start to the year, Bennett was released from the team.
Is Graham the answer?
Like I said earlier, that Packers have been searching for that solid tight end for five years now.
With Jimmy Graham available, there are many fans hoping that Brian Gutekunst will make the move.
Graham himself has racked up two 1,000-yard seasons in his career, both with New Orleans. He has not had numbers like that in recent years though. Many credit this to the change in quarterback rather than a decline in Graham’s game.
If the Packers do bring in Graham, it will likely be on a shorter deal, as he turns 32 in November. Signing Graham to a one-year deal would be a good move for both the team and Graham.
The Packers would have a solid veteran at the position and Graham would get to play with arguably the most talented QB in the game today.
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Only time will tell.