Jimmy Graham is on the cusp of NFL stardom

One thing has been made very clear during the New Orleans Saints first three days of practice: tight end Jimmy Graham, the second year man out of Miami, looms large in the New Orleans offense.

And Graham appears ready for his starring role. He has added 10 pounds of muscle and now weight in at 265. But he still has his explosiveness and leaping ability, and quarterback Drew Brees has targeted Graham repeatedly in drills.

Graham said that's not surprising - Brees is trying to get him more reps to build confidence in the connection between the two. But with veterans David Thomas and Tory Humphrey still floating in the free agent ether, Graham is unquestionably the man.

"I'm going to have to block a lot more than I did last year so I'm constantly working at that and trying to get better at that," he said. "I'm definitely going to have a lot more responsibility than I did last year and the mental errors I had last year I can't have that."

Fellow Hurricane tight end Jeremy Shockey is gone, let go by the Saints and signed by Carolina. But Shockey still kept his Miami roots close in the off-season, working out back on campus with middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Graham played one year at Miami after exhausting his basketball eligibility and yet still found himself drafted in the third round in 2010.

"It's incredible to think how far I've come in two years and it seems like I'm still taking steps forward," he said.


(nola.com)