“It was a surprise to me”.
Advertisement
When elite tight end Jimmy Graham was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, many assumed it was Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints who would get the bad end of the deal.
The 6-foot-7 Graham is a big target and he has built his reputation of being risky in the red zone, but the Seahawks are just two games into the regular season and – if the reports are true – why would Graham be upset?
That was a reference to this report from Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman this week, which included that Graham “hates what’s happening in Seattle…I’ve had several Seattle players tell me this”.
Fact is, Graham wasn’t available in the locker room immediately following Seattle’s opener in St. Louis, either.
“I was in [the locker room], for the time I needed to be and then I went to the shower”.
Then Graham made an excellent point. “You know, especially since I said nothing to nobody”, he said. I know I’ll be ready when they do come my way…. “Usually I figure to write stories, you’ve got to have some type of source, which should be me, and it certainly wasn’t”, Graham said.
Whatever. Bottom line is: Expect many more targets of and catches by Graham Sunday against the Bears, eight days after that in the Seahawks’ Monday night home game against Detroit and beyond.
But Graham said any frustration he was feeling after the two losses had to do with the results of the games themselves, not his individual numbers.
“You know, I like to win, and I hate to lose. Frustration comes because we’re 0-2 and we’re a lot better than that”. “I don’t have any doubt about that”, the Super Bowl-winning coach said, as quoted by NFL.com.
“This team runs the ball”. If we are, it means that we’re in trouble.
But if it’s another one-catch day, Graham will be reminded that all of China is watching, wondering. He has just seven catches for 62 yards in two games in Seattle. The line has starters in three new positions.
When Wilson was asked Thursday about what needs to happen involving Graham more in the passing game, the quarterback was similarly unconcerned.
Losing can make a team crumble, but the Seahawks are tough, talented and can turn things around, one game at a time.
Last season the Seahawks averaged 172.6 yards rushing and 375.8 total yards per game. “Sometimes a guy is there and sometimes I’m going to make it happen”. That will better set up Wilson’s play-action passing. Brees would famously throw the ball up high and let Graham do most of the work.
“Obviously it is kind of constant growth (finding his role)”, he said. “There are a lot of variables”, Graham said. The most important thing isn’t what my role is or what I’m doing out there. It’s about wins. So that’s all we’re concerned about. “That’s just chemistry, and that’s just something that you’ve got to get comfortable with”.
Advertisement
Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) warms up before an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, August 21, 2015. The Seahawks have only played two games, and Graham was productive in one of them. He’ll start at strong safety. Also, Kam Chancellor is back after a few months of holdout, as reported by ESPN.
