Jimmy and the Pack:
The presence of the power tight end might present a dream scenario for Green Bay, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
GREEN BAY, Wis. - The rep is over. There’s a momentary pause as players head back upfield, returning to their respective huddles. It’s quiet on Ray Nitschke Field. The action has barely begun in the first padded practice of Packers training camp.
But Jimmy Graham is seething. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ pass just sailed over his head, but there should have been a penalty. Josh Jones, Graham asserts, grabbed his face mask. He’s sure of it. Graham looks around for the yellow flag, but it remains tucked in the referee’s pocket.
And now he’s fuming.
What followed was a spectacle, the camp’s first scuffle. As Graham pleaded his case to the local practice ref, Jones started barking. It would be easy to fixate on the pluck of a second-year safety not backing down against a five-time Pro Bowler, but it would perhaps miss the point.
Jimmy Graham is that five-time Pro Bowler, someone who has accomplished more than most in professional football, but he wasn’t about to shrug off the indignity of a blown call. Even if it was his first padded practice of the season.
“I’ve always had a couple run-ins,” Graham said afterward while standing at his locker. “I’m just a competitive player. A physical player, I think. We’re all just trying to be out there competing and challenging each other on everything.”
As the 2018 Packers start formulating their identity, one thing is already apparent: Graham will be a big part of it.
He is too respected, having already achieved too much in his career, to be a fringe acquisition. No, Graham figures to be part of the Packers’ heart and soul. One of their most important players. His influence will be an example teammates follow.
It’s much too early to know how much success Graham will have in Green Bay, but initial impressions have been overwhelmingly positive. Rodgers hasn’t bothered containing his excitement this offseason.
“He’s a big target. He catches the ball with his hands,” Rodgers said. “You know, we haven’t had a guy like that around here in a while. Obviously, Jared (Cook) did a lot of those things, but Jimmy, he’s got a great feel for coverages, getting open. He uses his body really well, runs good routes, and he’s a matchup issue.
“We haven’t had a consistent matchup-issue guy like that for a long time.”
It’s premature to make any sweeping determinations about Graham’s ability to acclimate into the Packers offense. About four months from his 32nd birthday, he’s also nearing the high-mileage portion of his career.
But the Packers need Graham to be a major force this fall, especially after releasing Rodgers’ former go-to receiver, Jordy Nelson. If Graham carries his body of work this offseason into live reps and, later, regular-season snaps, the tight end who caught 10 touchdowns last season certainly appears capable of being a dynamic playmaker.
It helps, Graham said, to play with a quarterback the likes of Rodgers. It isn’t his first time with a quality passer. The former Saints third-round pick spent his first five years catching passes from Drew Brees. He’s shared an offense in Seattle with Russell Wilson the past three years.
Still, Graham said, Rodgers is different.
“I’ve played with some pretty good quarterbacks,” Graham said, “and Aaron, he’s just a special arm. Where he puts us on the sideline, where he throws us back shoulder, is pretty unbelievable. For me, I’m not going to compare him to anybody I’ve played with. Aaron’s in his own category.”
For years, Rodgers and Graham discussed the idea of playing together, the possibilities that would come with them joining forces. Graham is wired similarly to Rodgers, bringing intensity to the practice field, never wasting a rep.
The two already share a high level of trust.
“He’s always going to throw you open,” Graham said. “He’s always going to throw to the open spot. He’s going to protect you, and he’s going to protect that ball. I know when he leads me out there that I can just run right through it. I’ve got no worries in the world because I know he’s the eyes in the back of my head. And we’ll just keep working on that.”