JoeSixPat
Pro Bowl Player
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2004
- Messages
- 10,671
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Last offseason there was quite the debate on this board about letting Graham go or making an effort to keep and sign him....
My feeling was that as a player who acted primarilly as a blocker, I just couldn't see us paying big bucks to keep a role player. Actually I do recognize that Graham isn't a bad receiver - but given injuries and game planning, we've simply never used him as a real offensive threat (I suspect Denver will use him diffently at the price they paid, but that's another matter)
Others felt strongly that Graham was among the best TEs in the league primarilly because of his excellent blocking, and that we would and should ante up a big time offer that paid him like a Top 5 TE.
Now, with the Broncos signng Graham to a 5 year $30 million contract ($15 guaranteed) I'd say both sides were right.
Clearly the market either a) overpaid or b) truly feels that Graham is near the best TE in the league.
And just as clearly (we hope) we've been able to find a value priced TE who has excellent blocking, if not subpar receiving, skills.
I think we can all agree that $5-6 million a year (I predict Graham will be cut after Year 3 in Denver) isn't something we were about to pay for a guy who averages 12-13 games a season and 2 catches a game.
So, Patsfans - what would YOU have been willing to pay Graham?
Before free agency I said no higher than $3 mil a season. I might have been willing to see the team go for $3.5 million a season but I don't think I'd have gone for much more than $10 million guaranteed (again, looking at it as a 3 year contract).
Do you think Denver overpaid? Since we're the true "experts" having watched Graham for years, what do others - especially those who were pushing hard to re-sign Graham - think he was worth to us in particular in terms of contract value?
My feeling was that as a player who acted primarilly as a blocker, I just couldn't see us paying big bucks to keep a role player. Actually I do recognize that Graham isn't a bad receiver - but given injuries and game planning, we've simply never used him as a real offensive threat (I suspect Denver will use him diffently at the price they paid, but that's another matter)
Others felt strongly that Graham was among the best TEs in the league primarilly because of his excellent blocking, and that we would and should ante up a big time offer that paid him like a Top 5 TE.
Now, with the Broncos signng Graham to a 5 year $30 million contract ($15 guaranteed) I'd say both sides were right.
Clearly the market either a) overpaid or b) truly feels that Graham is near the best TE in the league.
And just as clearly (we hope) we've been able to find a value priced TE who has excellent blocking, if not subpar receiving, skills.
I think we can all agree that $5-6 million a year (I predict Graham will be cut after Year 3 in Denver) isn't something we were about to pay for a guy who averages 12-13 games a season and 2 catches a game.
So, Patsfans - what would YOU have been willing to pay Graham?
Before free agency I said no higher than $3 mil a season. I might have been willing to see the team go for $3.5 million a season but I don't think I'd have gone for much more than $10 million guaranteed (again, looking at it as a 3 year contract).
Do you think Denver overpaid? Since we're the true "experts" having watched Graham for years, what do others - especially those who were pushing hard to re-sign Graham - think he was worth to us in particular in terms of contract value?