Saints larger-than-average pass-catching football person Jimmy Graham is prepared to file a grievance if he’s franchise-tagged as a tight end, and he may have company.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta are “far apart” in their talks on a contract extension, which could lead to several problems for the team.
Like Graham, Pitta will back at the tight end tag designation, since he lined up the majority of his snaps as a slot receiver. Given the $4.8 million difference in the wide receiver tag and the tight end tag, both are hoping to use the grievance as leverage.
That complicates things for the Ravens, who have other business to do, notably with left tackle Eugene Monroe.
With two weeks left before free agency, there’s a lot of posturing by both sides at this point, but the threat of a grievance that could drag things out and make it harder to do other deal is a useful tool for players looking for what they believe they deserve.