Man Mountain Moves to Mountain Town: Jimmy Graham Arrives in Seattle

When Seattle awoke this morning, fans knew that a stud tight end was a high priority in this period of free agency. Luke Willson was an admirable fill-in during this season’s run to the Superbowl, but one had to feel that his ceiling was low, and that adding a talented tight end would go some way to aiding Seattle’s receiving corp woes. 

The best hope appeared to be Browns TE Jordan Cameron, a talented but concussion-prone option who would have added a somewhat uncertain boost at the position. The 27-year-old Cameron had a big season in 2013 (917 yards, 7 TDs), but a tough 2014 followed with a combination of injury and Brown QB problems. 

Then came Schefter’s tweet, just a few minutes before free agency officially began. Within minutes, a rumor had turned into a done deal, and Saints star Jimmy Graham, about to enter the second year of a $40 million deal, was on his way to Seattle along with a fourth round pick. In exchange, the Saints would receive Seattle center Max Unger and a future first rounder. 

Before delving into what it means for the Hawks (and what it means for the fantasy value of multiple Hawks players in 2015), let’s start with the obvious: Dingo loves this trade. Not necessarily for the player himself (although I am still a big Jimmy Graham fan despite his decrease in production in 2014). But just for the sheer ballsy magnitude of this trade. There’s nothing the Dingo loves more in life than drafts and trades, and this trade is bigger than a brick shithouse. And, as the blog's good friend Das Hans pointed out this afternoon, it's another ginger on the Hawks! 

Graham’s entry into the Seahawks offense does a number of things, for better and for worse: 

Fills two (maybe three) immediate needs with one player. The Seahawks needed big red zone receiving targets, and they needed a tight end who offered options up the seam. They also needed receivers who attracted defensive schemes, and opened up running lanes for Lynch. In Graham, they get a man who was the undisputed number one receiving tight end before the start of last season, and after a bad year for the Saints franchise, still sits in the top three tight ends amongst the league. 

Another star has been added to the roster. This can be good (leadership?), potentially troubling (increased salary cap hit), and possibly bad (see Harvin, Percy). Graham’s locker room leadership came under a little bit of subtle fire this year, but after the arbitration process that he lost around being classed as a tight end rather than a receiver, it is understandable that he might have held a grudge with the Saints organization. In that way, a change could be good. We won’t go into specifics about the salary cap, but it could become a problem down the track. 

The final point, regarding Harvin, is the most important one. The last time Seattle added a star was when they traded for Percy Harvin two years ago. The results have been well documented, but what is most important to note is the way the Seahawks tried to alter their playing style to suit the new player (jet sweeps) and promptly lost their way on offense. Do the coaching staff have the ability, inclination and creativity to find ways to keep Graham, Lynch and Wilson all happy and purring at once? Time will tell, but recent history is not on their side. 

It’s a good division for tight ends. Graham will find himself regularly matched up against the Cardinals, Rams and 49ers, and that’s a good thing. The Cardinals ranked dead last in yards given up to tight ends last year (1,085), with the 49ers 20th (848) and the Rams 9th (714). The 49ers also show promise to regress somewhat this year. 

So what does this do to Graham’s fantasy value, and the value of those around him? Graham’s fantasy value takes a slight uptick with this move, and places him in the top two tight ends with Rob Gronkowski. With Julius Thomas heading to Jacksonville, he is now a clear third in that race. 

Graham’s value goes up because, despite the fact that he had Drew Brees throwing him the ball last year, this year he has a QB on the rise who is desperate for a favorite target. Wilson has been applauded for sharing the ball around between his receivers, making them relatively useless for fantasy purposes. The leading receiver (TDs) last season was Marshawn Lynch (4), while Doug Baldwin and Luke Willson both had just three scores across the season. A red zone threat like Graham must surely be utilized by the Seahawks coaching staff, and utilized often. 

Graham’s presence should also increase the fantasy value of Wilson, who proved himself to be a solid, almost stud performer last year with his running game and (usual) disinclination for throwing picks. He should thrive now he has a big target as a bailout, and may move into the top five fantasy quarterback prospects this season. 

Lynch is the wildcard. Graham could eat into his touchdowns, but could also provide a great distraction and increase his numbers. It will be hard to tell how Graham is going to be used until training and the season begin, but one thing’s for sure—the Seahawks, as both a team and as multiple fantasy propositions, have just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.