Jimmy Graham expresses love for Brees

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham expressed his "love" for quarterback Drew Brees on Friday when asked about a recent ESPN The Magazine story that described some tension in their relationship this summer.

When asked if that was real, Graham said, "Nah. No, Drew's my guy. I love Drew."

According to the story, a source close to Graham said he was extremely annoyed by a comment Brees made to USA Today during his contract negotiations, suggesting the team would be ready to go with or without Graham.

There have been no outward signs of any tension with Brees and Graham since -- and their on-field rapport seems fine after Graham caught eight passes for 82 yards in Week 1.

Earlier this summer, however, Graham was open about how tough it was for him to deal with the emotions of being isolated from his team during the contract negotiations -- which included an arbitration hearing in which coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis testified against Graham's claim to be considered a wide receiver.

And Graham reiterated that when he was specifically asked at the start of training camp about Brees' comments.

"Yeah it's tough [to deal with the emotions of all those things]," Graham said at the time. "I didn't get into football to learn litigation. That's just the truth. Just being in an uncomfortable position and really not wanting to deal with it. I just wanted to move on and play. That's all I do, that's all I want to do, and I'm just glad all of that is over with."

Graham hit on a number of interesting topics during his weekly visit with the media Friday, including his blocking ability and the way young tight ends are following his lead in more ways than one.

When asked about how Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron changed his Twitter handle from "Pro Bowl tight end" to "Pro Bowl pass catcher" in the wake of Graham's arbitration hearing over his franchise tag, Graham smiled and said, "Smart. Smart."

The two Pro Bowlers obviously have a lot in common, from their basketball backgrounds to their roles as a dynamic new breed of offensive weapon. Graham said they've met before, though Sunday's game will be their first regular-season faceoff.

"I feel like we all kind of watch each other, and we all try to pick things up. But he's got a lot of speed, he's a big guy, and if they throw it up, he's gonna go and get it. He's a great player, so I'm excited to see him," said Graham, who was asked how it feels to be a role model of sorts for young tight ends.

"You know, it's a little different. I think more than tight ends, offenses have really come around. And they look to make tight ends a pivotal role in the offense after what me and Gronk [Rob Gronkowski] have done," Graham said. "And I think that trend's just gonna keep going. As I've seen the last two weeks out there in Denver, he's feeding that kid [Peyton Manning to Julius Thomas]. And Baltimore with two tight ends.

"Everyone's looking to really get the tight end the ball because there's a lot of matchup issues down the field in the middle."

When asked if Cameron was also "a hacker" like him on the basketball court, Graham said, "He's a finesse guy. I'm more of the hacking type."

Speaking of Graham's physical side, his blocking ability seems to have been criticized more than ever over the past year by some analysts and by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, who called him "overrated" after their teams' playoff matchup.

But Graham had a strong performance as a blocker in the run game during the Saints' 37-34 overtime loss at Atlanta in Week 1. And though he laughed when the subject came up, Graham said it's something he's always been serious about.

"You know, I would say every offseason, normally I try to work on something. And for the last two seasons with all of the injuries I've had, it's really kind of hindered the blocking. So I was in there mainly on third down and two-minute situations," said Graham, who has dealt with foot, wrist and elbow injuries over the past two seasons. "But this year, being healthy, I'm able to be more aggressive in the run game. So hopefully I can just stay healthy and help us win."


(espn.com)