Jimmy Graham.

[obiken]

1. I like Jimmy, he is a good TE, No he is not Gronk, but who is.
2. Was I for the deal? No, I didn't like giving up a good center and picks for him.
3 Its been a good move but not a great one. Injuries and the figuring out process has sucked a lot of his potential productivity.

Question: do we keep him or not? I say its close, but dump him. We need the money elsewhere.

[curmudgeon]

If Bevell stays, Jimmy should go. Bevell cannot or will not properly utilize Jimmy. A new OC may be able to utilize Jimmy's special skill set. But as you say, cash can be used elsewhere....

[NorthHawk]

It's frustrating that they could do so much with him and they don't.
Get creative with the formations like other teams do. Steal their plays if you have to, but use his size, athleticism, and hands for the mismatch it is, not to make him a better blocker.
Leave that for the plow horses at TE, not the thoroughbred.

[Hawktawk]

The guy is a rare talent. Hes got good genes to recover and have the most prolific year of any TE in our history. It would be idiotic to cut him, just like it would really be stupid to keep bevell.

[The POPE]

I could see him being on the trading block. Trade for an o-lineman to shore up the line, maybe pick up a draft pick or 2 in the process ala the Saints. If the Hawks could figure out how to maximize his talent I would totally be against trading or cutting him, but since that doesn't seem to be the case I think there are other players who could replace his production. When Lockett is able to come back, paired with Richardson, Baldwin and prosise out of the backfield I'm not sure he would be missed much in the offensive scheme. The scheme calls for a blocking tight end most of the time so just convert a tackle to tight end and there ya go. Seems to be the way the Hawks roll. Maybe even an ex basketball player, hell they got one at tackle, why not tight end. Isn't that where Jimmy came from anyway? Graham has been under utilized in Bevells scheme so why keep him? If they want a blocking tight end then get a blocking tight end much cheaper and use the extra money to shore up the leaking dyke that they call an o-line.

Respectfully,

The Pope

[Hawktawk]

Can someone explain how 65 catches for 923 yards and 6 tds is so disappointing for a guy less than a year removed from a ruptured patella?
Particularly in light of Russ injuries, weak o line , anemic run game and quite a few other quality hands to spread Russ's passes around to I'm like wtf are you people talking about????
He's not even 100% yet. Keep this guy. He's a world class talent with the best hands in the league. He's only going to get more prolific and he's learned to block as well.


Dumb and dumber

[RiverDog]

Can someone explain how 65 catches for 923 yards and 6 tds is so disappointing for a guy less than a year removed from a ruptured patella?
Particularly in light of Russ injuries, weak o line , anemic run game and quite a few other quality hands to spread Russ's passes around to I'm like wtf are you people talking about????
He's not even 100% yet. Keep this guy. He's a world class talent with the best hands in the league. He's only going to get more prolific and he's learned to block as well.


Dumb and dumber

Plus we do have to consider that we're not a team that likes to sling the ball around like New Orleans was, so he wasn't going to post numbers like he did when Drew Brees was pitching to him.

The biggest thing I didn't like about the trade was that we didn't have a plan to replace Unger other than to stand out in the middle of the field and yell "Next man up!", and it hurt us big time. When trades like this one occurs, most teams have a good young backup that they're anxious to get some playing time, especially at a position like center that requires more brain work than most other positions. That wasn't the case with us, and it was one of the key factors that led to our paltry performance in the first half of last year and killed any chance of us getting HFA or a first round bye.

But that's all water under the bridge. I'm content with Graham's performance, although I wish it was a little more consistent.

[Oly]

Plus we do have to consider that we're not a team that likes to sling the ball around like New Orleans was, so he wasn't going to post numbers like he did when Drew Brees was pitching to him.

...

But that's all water under the bridge. *I'm content with Graham's performance, although I wish it was a little more consistent.

*I'm content with Graham's performance, although I wish *Bevell was a little more consistent *at getting Graham targets, especially in the red zone.

FTFY

[Hawk Sista]

I was thinking the same thing, HT. How is the probable comeback player of the year with the MOST prolific #s for a TE in team history somehow a problem? He was on pace to break TE marks last year (2015) too before being injured so badly some wondered if he'd play again, let alone the 2016 season. And yet in year one w/ the run-first Hawks, he was on this pace while everyone repeated that he wasn't working out here and/or the coaches were too dumb to use him correctly.

The man had 923 yards/6 TDs with no preseason games or TC reps, only partially playing in the first game and needing to help block a lot. After this signicant injury, which has left many a shell of their former selves....Jimmy was the best TE in franchise history.

Our team was not championship caliber this year. We had a rookie and inexperienced o-line protecting a twice significantly injured QB whose mobility drives the o, massive injuries to RBs (a unit that was further hurt by said line and QB injuries), injuries to three of our more essential players on defense (which either hampered or took em out).

I can understand asking the question from a "what do you think about shopping Jimmy?" kind of way. Anything that feels like a complaint that Jimmy's not involved enough is not paying attention to what actually happened the last two seasons and the circumstances that limited us.

[c_hawkbob]

Jimmy is so lightyears ahead of every other TE we've ever had people seem to forget what used to pass as a good year for a Seahawks TE;

name - season best receiving yards

Itula Mili - 508
Christian Fauria - 377
John Carlson - 627
Jerramy Stevens - 554
Charle Young - 529
Zach Miller - 396
Carlester Crumpler - 361 (best name ever though!)
Ron Howard - 422
Mike Tice - 244

Jimmy Graham - 2016 - 923

And his 68.4 % catch rate is the best of his career aside from his rookie season in which he only caught 31 passes.

Jimmy gets catches when he gets targets. Oly is absolutely right; we just need to target him more consistently.

[mykc14]

Honestly I think it is far more likely that we resign him this offseason than trade him. His cap hit is high at 10 mil but that can be lowered with a new contract. The fact that he really seems to like it here and him and Russ are tight should help. If we make him a reasonable offer I see it being a pretty easy negotiation, unless he just wants to go to a team that is going to throw him the ball more, then he might not be so quick to sign. Really I don't see that as being that big of an issue because he does seem to like it here so much, I mean the dude flys his plane to work everyday. That's not something he can do on most teams.

[RiverDog]

Jimmy is so lightyears ahead of every other TE we've ever had people seem to forget what used to pass as a good year for a Seahawks TE;

name - season best receiving yards

Itula Mili - 508
Christian Fauria - 377
John Carlson - 627
Jerramy Stevens - 554
Charle Young - 529
Zach Miller - 396
Carlester Crumpler - 361 (best name ever though!)
Ron Howard - 422
Mike Tice - 244

Jimmy Graham - 2016 - 923

And his 68.4 % catch rate is the best of his career aside from his rookie season in which he only caught 31 passes.

Jimmy gets catches when he gets targets. Oly is absolutely right; we just need to target him more consistently.

Graham's a great pass catching TE, but I'd take a healthy Zach Miller over him any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Miller was a better blocker than our starting tackles and was a fantastic security blanket for Russell, made some acrobatic catches. Too bad he couldn't stay healthy.

[Hawktawk]

Really Rd? Get real. Not to mention Zach Miller and Healthy are mutually exclusive terms.
Wow

[NorthHawk]

With how they use him in this Offense maybe RD is right, but with more creative play designs for him he could be a real beast. He's still pretty good, but he should not block, rather the plays should exploit his natural abilities and mismatches that are available in most games.

[Hawktawk]

His blocking has improved greatly and he just became the first ever Hawks tight end to be invited to the pro bowl.
I know it's legal but put down the pipe already.

Did you watch the games at all?

[NorthHawk]

The best use of a player is to take what makes them better than others - mismatches if you will - and use it to it's fullest extent.
we gave up a huge amount to get him, then don't put him in a position to excel.
That's just a waste of talent.
Use him as a receiver and do it creatively so his natural advantages are exploited.
They do it on Defense all the time - putting players in a position to maximize their talents and abilities, but they aren't doing it with Graham by asking him to learn to block.
I'll say the comment again: You don't take a thoroughbred and put him in front of a plow.

[RiverDog]

Really Rd? Get real. Not to mention Zach Miller and Healthy are mutually exclusive terms.
Wow

I said a "healthy" Zach Miller. And don't forget, although it's important to note that his was one major injury, Jimmy Graham has spent roughly the same percentage of his time on the DL as Miller did. And Miller made some really fantastic catches, had a great pair of hands, although I agree that Graham has a significant edge in pass catching ability.

The stats are nice to look at, but a big part of a tight end's job is blocking. When we were having trouble with our tackles not being able to handle pass rushing TE's, Miller was awesome at pass protection. Jimmy Graham is too tall and lanky to be a good blocker.

A big part of our running game woes is that we don't have a good, versatile tight end that can block yet one that defenses have to account for in pass coverage. Zach Miller IMO was the best all around tight end we've had if you take out the injuries component.

[Hawktawk]

Don't misunderstand Rd Miller was a favorite of mine as well and Russ said he had the best hands he's ever seen. Again though not healthy ever, 300 something yards recieving his most as a Seahawk.

Graham's time on ir was primarily one devastating injury where ZAch was on and off the field constantly.
For all the supposed problems with match ups 65 catches 6 tds and 923,yards and now a pro bowl kind of speaks to the year
the guy had after a injury I still have never recovered from 18 years later.
I drool at the mouth thinking about he and Russ with another off season together.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[The POPE]

If I remember right Grahams big rub about his contract in NO was that he wanted to be paid as a wide receiver since he was running a lot of plays from the slot or wide receiver spots. He had more production in NO than in Seattle. I am aware that coaching and scheme were different in NO and he had Bree's in his prime throwing to him. He may be a better blocker now than when he' arrived in Seattle, but his true talent is catching the ball. So utilize him to do that more. Split him out more, and no I don't have STATs to compare the # of snaps he was split out in NO vs Seattle. For those statisticians out there if you need STaTS feel free to look it up.

The Pope

[Hawktawk]

In other words can bevfool.
But unfortunately it doesn't appear PC has any interest even though it's clear players are frustrated and the inconsistent offense is a broken record every first half or 3 quarters of virtually every game .
I don't get it.

[Hawk Sista]

You don't think Pete was frustrated? Injuries to Rawls, Wilson, Procise, Lockett really hurt us early on and we never found that consistency that you'd like to see. For all of the discussion, you'd think we were talking about a 6-10 team. We had hurdle after hurdle and we won 10 games and made it to the second round. Don't ever forget how hard it is to win it all and don't take a season like this for granted. We will have a six win season soon enough.

Jimmy is a beast. He had a great year with the aforementioned stats + an improved year of blacking. All this after a catastrophic injury LATE last year. I honestly don't know what to say.