Saints GM Mickey Loomis hopeful team will work out a long-term deal with Jimmy Graham

Mickey Loomis has served as the Saints GM since 2002. (Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images)

New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis believes the team will be able to work out a long-term deal with tight end Jimmy Graham, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.

The Saints placed a franchise tag on the All-Pro in February, as the team and player have not been able to agree on a multi-year contract that would keep him in New Orleans after 2014. However, the two sides are now at odds over whether Graham should be considered a tight end or a wide receiver. If he were listed as a tight end, he would receive a franchise tender of $7.035 million, while if he were listed as a wide receiver his pay for 2014 would increase to $12.312 million under the franchise tag.

An arbitrator will decide Graham's position, but Loomis was optimistic that the controversy will be rendered moot by a new contract in a conversation with Sirius XM's NFL Radio.

“Look, I had hoped and I’m sure he had hoped we’d come to some conclusion on a longer-term deal before this.  But we haven’t yet, and hopefully we will. . . .  We’ll just let it play out, and I’m sure we’ll get something resolved.”