Should the Jaguars Consider Adding Tight End Jimmy Graham to Their Offense?

With free agency slated to begin in less than a week, the Jacksonville Jaguars will join the rest of the NFL in attempting to reshape their roster via the addition of veteran players from outside teams. The Jaguars have been active on the first few days of free agency in the past, though this year is slated to be different due to the team's cap restrictions.

Because of those cap restrictions, the Jaguars may be out of the running for the top free agents in this year's class, such as cornerback Byron Jones, tight end Austin Hooper, linebacker Cory Littleton, or defensive tackle D.J. Reader. Instead, it could be more sensible for the Jaguars to pursue cheaper veteran options at positions of need.

One position the Jaguars could seek to add a veteran at without breaking the bank is tight end. While Hooper and Hunter Henry are set to receive sizeable deals, there are other veterans on the market who can be acquired for more reasonable deals.

Because of the lack of depth and high-end talent at tight end in this year's NFL Draft, it would make sense for the Jaguars to look to this year's crop of free agents instead when it comes to improving a tight end group that was one of the least productive in the NFL last season.

One tight end that could make sense and is set to hit the market is 10-year veteran Jimmy Graham, who has spent the last two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. There were reports the Packers would try to trade Graham and his large contract, but instead, they are set to release him today according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

With Graham set to be an available player at a position of need for the Jaguars, would it make sense for general manager Dave Caldwell to pursue Graham and add him to the Jaguars' offense? We look at the pros and cons of the move to determine the answer.

Why Jimmy Graham makes sense for the Jaguars

Currently, the Jaguars lack an established pass-catching threat at the tight end position that has the track record of production Graham possesses, even if Graham's numbers have gradually slipped. In 2019, Graham recorded 38 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns while playing a minor role in the offense. While these numbers aren't overly impressive, they would have led Jaguars' tight ends in all categories.

Graham's 2018 season wasn't exactly eye-popping either, as he recorded 55 catches for 636 yards and two touchdowns. But even with these middling numbers, Graham's recent production would be the best of any Jaguars' tight end in years. For context, the Jaguars haven't had a tight end total 500 yards or more since Marcedes Lewis in 2012, and they also haven't had a tight end catch more than 40 passes in a season since Julius Thomas in 2015.

For a young Jaguars' tight end room that features players like Josh Oliver and James O'Shaughnessy, it could be beneficial to bring in someone like Graham who has 10 seasons of NFL experience. Graham, 33, has slowed down quite a bit since his prime, but after playing 153 games in his career, he could add a veteran prescence to a position group that has been missing once since Lewis departed in 2018.

Graham's size (6-foot-7) would also add an element to the Jaguars' offense they currently don't have. For context, Oliver is 6-foot-5, O'Shaughnessy is 6-foot-4, Geoff Swaim is 6-foot-4, Seth DeValve is 6-foot-3, Charles Jones is 6-foot-5, and Nick O'Leary is 6-foot-3. Size alone doesn't make a player a weapon, but it is a factor that should be considered, especially with a team like the Jaguars that needs more red-zone threats.

Why Jimmy Graham doesn't make sense for the Jaguars

The obvious argument against adding Graham is the fact that his game has continued to regress in recent years despite playing with elite quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. And before playing with those two, Graham benefitted greatly from playing with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Brees

In 43 games with Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, Graham recorded 170 receptions for 2,048 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a bonafide touchdown machine (10 scores in 2017), but he was an inefficient target otherwise. In 32 games with the Packers, Graham notched 93 receptions for 1,083 yards and only five touchdowns. If Graham struggled to be a consistent threat with Wilson and Rodgers passing him the ball, then the odds are this would continue with Gardner Minshew II or Nick Foles facilitating his targets.

Despite his size, Graham was also a middling red-zone target for the Packers. He was sought to be a prime target for Rodgers in that area of the field, but according to RotoWire, Graham recorded 33% or less of his red-zone targets from 20, 10, and five yards out into touchdowns. For context, Darren Fells recorded, at worst, 66% of his red-zone targets from any of these areas into touchdowns in 2019, according to RotoWire.

Overall, Graham just isn't the dynamic playmaker he used to be, nor is he the automatic touchdown machine in the red-zone as he had been in prior years. He still has some tools such as his size and hands and he brings plenty of experience and knowledge, but the aging process has taken a clear toll on his game.

Overall

While Graham can likely be acquired on a cheaper short-term deal due to his age and slipping production, it is hard to envision him finding success in Jacksonville in the event they bring him in.

New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is a long-time advocate of getting the tight ends involved in the passing game, but it doesn't make much sense for the Jaguars to give snaps to a player like Graham instead of letting Oliver try to figure it out. This answer would probably have been different two to three seasons ago, but 2020 is not the time to try to turn back the clock on Graham, especially not for a Jaguars team that must win this season.

Graham makes sense in a few ways due to the Jaguars' need for a veteran at the position, but overall he is a player Jacksonville should avoid adding.