Report: Jimmy Graham Officially Appeals Franchise Tag Ruling

 

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that Saints TE Jimmy Graham has officially appealed the ruling from an arbitrator who determined he should be considered a tight end.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported not too long ago that Graham was not expected to file an appeal of his franchise before 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday, but it appears as though that was a little premature.

The tight end tag would only pay Graham $7.035 million for the 2014 while the receiver tag comes in at $12 million, so there is a huge incentive for him to appeal and hope it gets overturned.

This could also be an indication that the two sides aren’t close to a long-term contract extension.

Recent reports mentioned that the Saints are still willing to make Graham the highest-paid tight end in NFL history with an annual salary of $9.5 million, but there hasn’t been any reported progress since then.

Graham managed to put together a very good season, despite the fact that he was hampered by a foot injury for a good portion of the year.  He totaled 86 receptions for 1,215 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 1 tight end in the league.

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