It’s been nearly three weeks since the NFL’s Management Council decided that Jimmy Graham should be treated as a tight end for franchise tag purposes. To date, Graham has not filed a grievance challenging the designation.
The labor deal gives him 50 days from the application of the tight end version of the tag to file a grievance. Both the team and Graham’s agents have remained tight lipped over the last few weeks, amid speculation that negotiations on a long-term deal are proceeding.
Absent a long-term deal, it would be a shock if a grievance isn’t filed before April 22, the 50th day after the determination that Graham is a tight end for tag purposes. And if a grievance is filed, the outcome will hinge on whether Graham’s snaps taken while lined up in the slot are deemed snaps taken as a tight end or a receiver. With 45 percent of his total snaps taken from that position, the bucket into which those snaps land will determine his status for tag purposes.
Meanwhile, any team interested in giving up a pair of first-round picks for Graham could sign him to an offer sheet. Through nearly two weeks of free agency, no one has shown an interest in that possibility.