Green Bay Packers 10 Keys to success: #9 Jimmy Graham
Continuing on with my countdown of the 10 keys to a successful Green Bay Packers’ season, at number nine I have the resurgence of Jimmy Graham.
It would be easy to compare Jimmy Graham to Jordy Nelson since moments after the Green Bay Packers signed Graham, Nelson was released. Fair or not, Graham was put in a difficult situation when he came to Green Bay as he was going to be compared to a former fan favorite.
Contrary to what many think, Graham’s final numbers in 2018 were solid, but they certainly were not the production the Packers had been hoping for when they signed him as a free agent.
Graham finished with 55 catches, 636 yards, and two touchdowns. The two touchdowns are probably the most disappointing part of his season. Graham at a minimum was supposed to provide the Green Bay Packers with a red zone threat. Pairing him with Aaron Rodgers, the thought was he would be a touchdown machine.
However, as we all know he wasn’t. He looked like a player that was at the end of his road.
Graham has since stated that he wants to shut a lot of people up this season and prove the “haters” wrong. If the Packers hope to get back to the playoffs, they’re going to need him to be a factor in their offense.
Through the offseason, the Packers could have saved more than $8 million on their salary cap if they had released Graham before the third day of the league year. But they chose not to and paid him the subsequent roster bonus that followed.
In addition, they’ve gone out of their way to praise him. They clearly think that Graham can still play at a high level.
When you look at the Packers’ tight end room, there is not a lot in the way of proven talent. Marcedes Lewis is a veteran, but he is a role player at this stage of his career.
Robert Tonyan is a fan favorite, but he’s a third-year undrafted free agent. While Jace Sternberger was a third-round pick, but typically tight ends take at least a year to develop in the NFL.
The Green Bay Packers need Graham to produce because they’re unlikely to find significant production from any of his other teammates.
Nobody is asking or expecting Graham to be the player he was in New Orleans. That would be setting him up for failure. They do, however, need a more consistent impact from him.
Some games from 2018 that could be examples of what he can provide were the home games against Minnesota and San Francisco. Graham made plays both on the boundary and in the middle of the field and it looked like he was developing a connection with Rodgers.
The Packers’ only true proven receiving threat at this point is Davante Adams. Graham providing a threat in the middle of the field is another way to free up Adams and a way to make the jobs easier for his younger teammates.
Next. Ka'dar Hollman making a case for playing time. dark
Graham won’t be player he was in 2012, but Green Bay needs a player better than the one he was in 2018. If he can provide that, the Packers offense will be better and take a big step toward getting back to the postseason.