Drew Brees calls Jimmy Graham a 'hybrid' wideout/tight end

As we patiently await whether or not Jimmy Graham, tight end for the New Orleans Saint, will be ruled a tight end or a wide receiver in an upcoming arbitration hearing, the Saints march on in their preparation for the 2014 NFL season.

And while Drew Brees told CBS Sports Network's The Boomer and Carton Show he's focused on OTAs right now, he also added his two cents to the Graham argument, calling the star pass catcher a "hybrid."

"I would describe him as very important," Brees said. "The fact is he's really kind of a hybrid. He's really revolutionizing the position. There's probably an argument to be made [either way], that's why he's filing the grievance."

Brees understands Graham's position right now. He was there a few years ago before the Saints gave him a mammoth contract extension and reiterated on Monday he's "confident" the Saints and Graham will sort things out.

"I'm confident everything will get worked out with Jimmy at some point, hopefully sooner than later. It would be nice to have him in and have some time with him. But I also know how this goes," Brees said. "I kind of went through this two years ago. My advice to Jimmy is just hang in there, don't take it personal and stay in good shape and get ready to roll when you do get here. I'm excited about OTAs right now and seeing these young guys come together and how they can incorporate in our offense."

We'll stick with the same prediction we had before this whole drama began: the Saints will tag Graham (like they did Brees), take a stubborn approach through most of the offseason about paying him (like they did Brees) and eventually cave and hand him a lot of money right before deadline to negotiate with players who got tagged (like they did Brees).


(cbssports.com)