The Facts:
HC Sean Payton said he has no intention of changing the way he uses Graham just to get around a possible showdown over whether the player is considered a tight end or a wide receiver in free agency. "We're going to do whatever we have to do to win games, whether that's line him up wide, in the slot, three yards off the tackle, five yards off the tackle or right next to the tackle, whatever," Payton said in reference to the tight end.
Reported by Yahoo! Sports
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
As Yahoo's Jason Cole explained, Graham is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the 2013 season. While the Saints would like to get a long-term deal done with him before the end of the season, New Orleans faces some salary-cap issues. That means that the team might be forced to put a franchise tag on Graham next offseason to prevent it from losing him to another team. The rub is that the franchise tag for a tight end is far less expensive than it is for a wide receiver. This year, the difference is approximately $4.5 million on the cap ($6 million for a tight end and $10.5 million for a wide receiver). There are some people who believe that Graham should be paid as a wide receiver in excess of $10 million per year. Regardless, Payton said it would not have an impact on what he does with Graham.
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