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For months fans of the Seattle Seahawks have wondered what it would take to retain the services of tight end Jimmy Graham going forward. With Graham having agreed to terms with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, we now have that answer.
The Packers' deal for Jimmy Graham pays $30 million over three years, according to @RapSheet. Graham will earn $22 million of that amount over the first two years of the deal.
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) March 14, 2018
The reported $10M average per year (APY) on Graham’s new deal is the exact same as the $10M per year on his old deal. So, apparently the rising cap over the last four years was enough to offset the difference between a healthy 27 year old Graham and a 31 year old Graham in terms of keeping his APY the same.
With Seattle facing cap constraints this offseason compared to other franchises, the loss of Graham and Richardson was largely expected, but the reality of it is hitting some fans hard, In any case, this certainly seems to signal that a larger role should be expected for third year tight end Nick Vannett going forward. With Tyrone Swoopes the only depth behind Vannett, it will certainly be interesting to see what the team does in terms of addressing the position.
In any case, best of luck to Jimmy Graham in Green Bay, and enjoy the winters!