Jimmy Graham Thinks He Will Face Less Double Teams In Seattle Because He Clearly Doesn't Understand Football

Seahawks- Q13 FOX sports director Aaron Levine recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham.

(On when he realized he might be coming into a really good situation...) “Initially, [New Orleans Saints head coach] Sean [Payton] called me and told me ‘Hey, we traded you’ and I asked him ‘Is that even possible?’ Right after that then he told me where he traded me and honestly instantly I knew that was the best thing for myself, for my career. I saw it as a positive. I’m coming to the best team in football and I’m going to come here and be a part of something special. So for me, from the very moment that I heard ‘Seattle’ I was beyond excited.”

(On struggling against the Seahawks defense in the past and now having to play against it every day in practice...) “I welcome every moment of it. To go against Sherm and to go against that ‘Legion’ every day in practice it’s going to make Sunday even easier. For me also offensively, being a part of a team that runs the ball so much that’s going to be incredible. For the last couple years I’ve been doubled almost every third down. It’s not going to be like that here. We have so many weapons here and in that backfield with Marshawn and with Russ and his ability to run the ball and obviously, Marshawn being the best back in the NFL. It’s going to be something special."



Oh Jimmy, you are just so damn adorable sometimes. Your naivety actually makes me smile. It reminds me of a time when I had no worries either. When I thought everything was sunshine, gumdrops, and lollipops. Make no mistake, Jimmy Graham thinking he is suddenly going to show up in Seattle and not get double teamed on every third down is the definition of 'ignorance'. I guess I got to give him a pass here. He has only been playing football for 6 years now. Just because he has superhuman physical tools doesn't mean I should expect him to know every nuance of the game already. For instance, knowing that he is very clearly the most potent, if not only, consistent receiving weapon on the Seattle Seahawks offense. If anything that means he will receive more attention in the passing game, even with Marshawn Lynch drawing extra defenders into the box. 

Something tells me that Graham doesn't really understand how good he had it in New Orleans. A coach/offensive coordinator that catered to his talents (i.e. rarely made him block). A quarterback that had the capability to throw him open, even when he was covered, on any given play. An offense that featured a wide variety of options and a signal caller that spread the ball around, thus opening up more room for Graham on first and second down. Let's be real, there's not a competently coached team in the league that would leave Graham single covered on third down, no matter who he is playing for. Just because Seattle has been a better football team than New Orleans the last year years doesn't mean that Jimmy Graham is in a better position to succeed personally. That's not to say he won't. I think Graham can improve on his blocking and his ability to get open against physical coverage. However, to this point, he has not done so. I still love Jimmy Graham the person, even though I am forced to loathe him as a football player now. However, to think that his job has gotten easier in a less dynamic Seattle offense is simply subjective blindness.