Is Jimmy Graham a Tight End or a Wide Receiver?

[Schmoopy1000]

We don't have access to the CBA, however it has been extremely widely reported from every credible source that that is what it says.

by his agent?

 

[JDM]

By every source that has discussed how the CBA applies to this case.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

If that were the case why haven't teams done that? He was their leading receiver, surely someone should have tried to shut him down...


He poses mismatches, and he does so lined up at WR. He'd shred most corners even more easily because he wouldn't need any separation to beat them.

Per the CBA, it isn't his "role" that matters, it's where he's lined up. Where he's lined up is at WR.

Witten is often the Cowboys leading receiver & no one has ever mistaken him for a WR & all consider him a TE.

 

[JDM]

The claim isn't that his production makes him a WR. Where he lines up does.

It's that if a corner could so easily shut him down, teams would do so.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

We don't have access to the CBA, however it has been extremely widely reported from every credible source that that is what it says.

Any one can google the CBA.

https://www.nflplayers.com/About-us/CBA-Download/

Graham can take to arb. if he likes, I doubt that he wins.

 

[JDM]

Ok, apparently we do have access.

I will still cede to the multiple sources that have stated that that is included over reading through 300 pages to find it.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Ok, apparently we do have access.

I will still cede to the multiple sources that have stated that that is included over reading through 300 pages to find it.

I read thru it, when thread first came up and basically a player can take this to arb if he feels the NFL is wrong. I don't see him winning, because if he does you'll see a lot of hybrid TEs doing the same, what a can of worms that would be.

 

[JDM]

NFL officially applies tight end tag to Jimmy Graham | ProFootballTalk

The league’s release even quotes the relevant language from the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which states that the tender will be based on “the position . . . at which the Franchise Player participated in the most plays during the prior League Year.”

That's the league citing the relevant language.


Lining up in the slot is participating as a WR on the relevant play. I think he wins.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

We will see I guess. It really comes down to what position, the person deciding, felt he was playing. right?

So let ask you this, if before this contract dispute came up and you were in a survey to find out what you knew about the NFL and one of the questions was, what position does Jimmy Graham play? You would of listed him as a WR?

 

[JDM]

I would not have realized the percentage of plays he played in the slot, most likely. But if you showed me a snap of him in the slot and asked what position he was playing as that play, that's easy. He was being a WR.

 

[Kid Vicarious]

Where in the CBA does it specify that a tight end is someone who is squatted down outside the tackle prior to the ball being snapped? The dude is a TE or he wouldn't be in the league. He'd get dominated by a number 2 corner on any team in a real receiver slot.

I don't know if "dominated" is the right term but he would most definitely not have the stats.

 

[JDM]

I don't know if "dominated" is the right term but he would most definitely not have the stats.

This isn't accurate. If teams could defend him effectively with a corner, they would put a corner on him.

 

[Kid Vicarious]

This isn't accurate. If teams could defend him effectively with a corner, they would put a corner on him.

Hmmm, I remember a certain team from New England using corners to keep him completely out the game. 0 stats for that game.


Edit: Forgot he left at half time so that right there^ might not be the argument that i thought it would be.

 

[broncosmitty]

It's not so much that I consider him a Wide Receiver as it is I DO NOT consider him a TE.

 

[JDM]

Hmmm, I remember a certain team from New England using corners to keep him completely out the game. 0 stats for that game.

That was a top 5 corner. Hardly something you can say would happen every week with regular matchups against corners.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

This isn't accurate. If teams could defend him effectively with a corner, they would put a corner on him.

Except for the fact the corners need to defend the actual WRs. I wasn't impressed with Graham vs the Seahawks as some great receiver.

 

[Kid Vicarious]

Except for the fact the corner actually needs to defend the #1receiver rather then a tight end. Watching Graham play the Seahawks, I wasn't impressed.

Yea, Seahawks made graham their bitch. They used CBs

 

[JDM]

Graham was their number one receiver, statistically. He's most certainly more of a weapon than anyone but colston. If he could be effectively defended with most corners, teams would put a corner on him.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Graham was their number one receiver, statistically. He's most certainly more of a weapon than anyone but colston. If he could be effectively defended with most corners, teams would put a corner on him.

You got to wonder if that was because the Saints WRs where covered by corners and Graham wasn't.

 

[SonnyCID]

You got to wonder if that was because the Saints WRs where covered by corners and Graham wasn't.