NEWSLETTER
If you’re willing and able to compartmentalize things, then perhaps you’ll come to accept what I have when it comes to the offseason signing of Jimmy Graham.
When you put everything into consideration, you’ll be forced to agree that the much-maligned Jimmy Graham signing has, indeed, paid off. It’s not a conclusion I was expecting to write about at any point this season. Heck, I didn’t even envision Graham as a fit when the Packers cut him loose and the Bears had a need at the position. But a funny thing happened along the way. A funny thing called playing the game on the field.
Here are Graham’s latest contributions:
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1343262321020383242
https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1343289752443826176
I mean … yo:
Jimmy Graham's eight touchdowns this season are the most by a Bears tight end since Greg Olsen in 2009. Nine would be the most since Mike Ditka in 1961.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) December 27, 2020
Altogether, Graham has 48 catches, 451 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. It’s an improvement from last year’s output (38-447-3) in Green Bay. But still not quite where he was at in his last two years with Seattle when he averaged 61-721-8. Nevertheless, Graham has been more valuable with the Bears than many could have imagined.
How’d it happen? Credit the Bears’ offensive coaches for properly utilizing Graham within the scheme. And give them daps for recognizing that Saints Jimmy Graham™ wasn’t walking through the doors at Halas Hall in 2020. It’s amazing what a player can do when a team prioritizes deploying him in situations where his strengths can best serve the individual and the team.
Remember what I wrote in the offseason about usage:
I’m no mathematician, nor am I a passing-game coordinator, or an offensive guru. HOWEVER, it seems like an ideal and logical plan would be to target Graham early and often in the red zone. Seriously, that’s it. Maximizing a player’s strengths in an important facet of the game. … I imagine the Bears are going to want to justify their offseason show of affection for Graham. And while I don’t think he is the same player between the 20s as he was with New Orleans, it’s evident his value lies in being That Dude who gets targeted deep in opponents territory and makes the most of his 6-7, 265-pound frame. This doesn’t feel like a big ask, but it’s an important one for the Bears to realize as they re-tool their offense after last year’s stinker.
Graham had just 18 red-zone targets in 32 games with the Packers. He has 18 in 15 games this season with the Bears. Sometimes, football can be really simple. The Bears’ proper usage of Graham in 2020 is one of those times.
