Worried about Graham

[shakadave]

Year in, year out, Graham is a beloved, hardworking, defender-leveling, semi-injured player. Every year I find myself wishing we didn't bang up his blocking shoulders so much. Now it's training camp and I'm already worried again. Where is he? Is his shoulder really healed? Can we expect double-digit number of games from him this year? Has he even made it back from last season yet?

I have Graham withdrawal symptoms --- one of my favorite Pats!

 

[Mike the Brit]

I'm with you completely, shakadave.

There've been a lot of Graham threads and I think that we're clear where the issues are. Some people think that he'd be catching loads of passes if only he didn't have to block so much; some think that if he were a better tight end he would have more catches anyway. Some people say he doesn't have very good hands; others that he's put his early tendency to drop catches behind him. Some say that he doesn't have the speed to be a major pass-catching threat; others that his production after the catch is impressive.

For what it's worth, I'm with the Graham-optimists on all three questions.

But the one thing you can't deny is that he has had an awful lot of arm and shoulder injuries. If he isn't even fit to start training camp, where will all those thoughts about 2-TE sets end up?

 

[dhamz]

If he isn't even fit to start training camp, where will all those thoughts about 2-TE sets end up?

I know we are starved for things to talk about after the long offseason but boy do we overreact to things at the start of training camp.

Why should we care if "he isn't fit to start training camp?" If he isn't fit to play by the 3rd preseason game it is time to start worrying.