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| AP |
Arbitrator Stephen Burbank has declared that Jimmy Graham is a tight end and not a receiver on Wednesday morning. Graham was fighting the New Orleans Saints "tight end" franchise tag they placed on the 5-year veteran out of the University of Miami.
The Saints had declared Graham a tight end when they placed their franchise tag on him this offseason. Graham didn't like the money that comes with the tight end tag and that he played more snaps at the wide receiver position than the tight end and should be paid like it.
The difference between the tight end and wide receiver franchise tag is about $5 million, and understandably a big deal for Graham. Graham is now tagged to make roughly $7.053 million next season, and not the $12.132 million that a wide receiver would be slated to rake in on a franchise tag.
Graham believed he held a chance at winning the arbitration based on the fact that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement says a player's position is declared, "At which the Franchise player participated in the most plays during the prior League Year."
If that was the case Graham should have won this case since he lined up on the outside for 67% of his snaps last season. The Saints argument was that Graham lines up on the outside because that is the nature of today's tight end. Burbank eventually sided with the Saints organization, denying Graham's request to be declared a wide receiver.
The ruling was based off many things including Jimmy's twitter page, which he states himself as a tight end. Graham lined up on the outside more than any other tight end other than Tony Gonzalez last season, and that is why Graham believed he should be paid like a receiver. Unfortunately those numbers are supremely low for a wide receiver.
Another position the arbitrator considered was the fact that no matter where Graham is lined up on the offense, he is still covered like a tight end, by either a linebacker or free safety.
Burbank delivered a 12-page ruling when he delivered his decision on Wednesday. That ruling included testimony's by Saints coach Sean Payton, in which Payton was representing the Saints and not his star tight end Jimmy Graham. I don't know if this will cause rifts later on down the road, but I know I would be bothered if my coach was against me, especially when it comes to keeping money out of my pocket.
The deadline for signing his franchise tender is July 15; however Graham could still file for an appeal within 10 days of Wednesdays decision.
If Graham decides not to sign his tender than the Saints will be in for a rocky situation once training camps begin later this month.
In Graham's defense, he was ranked 15th in receiving yards last season among all receiver/tight ends/running backs with 1,215 yards (The next tight end on the list was the Cleveland Browns Jordan Cameron, who ranked 30th).
Graham was ahead of the likes of some elite receivers in receiving yards with Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, and Larry Fitzgerald all bringing in fewer yards than him last season.
If that's not enough to consider him a receiver he also had the most receiving TD's in the league last year, as well as ranking in the top 10 for receptions of 20+ yards.
Jimmy Graham will eventually be the highest paid tight end in NFL history, whether the Saints want to ante up now or later. If I was in the front office of the Saints I would definitely be pushing for Graham to get some money now, because he may not be so inclined to re-sign with the team once he is a free agent.
