9. Jimmy Graham, tight end, Seattle Seahawks
Graham rebounded from a disastrous first season with Seattle to perform at a Pro Bowl level this past year. The veteran ended the 2016 campaign having caught 65 passes for 923 yards with six touchdowns. It was the best performance of Graham’s career since he was an All Pro for the New Orleans Saints back in 2013.
So, why should the Seahawks move a valuable contributor on an otherwise pedestrian offense? The answer to this is two-fold.
First off, Graham is set to count $10 million against the cap in 2017. That’s a lot of dough for a team that’s currently projected to have just $24.4 million in cap room — a total that’s going to have to be used to help bolster one of the league’s worst offensive lines. With a weak class both in terms of free agency and the draft, Seattle could use Graham as bait to acquire a top-end left tackle to protect franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.
The second point here is a bit more complicated. As we mentioned above, Graham had a strong second season in Seattle. He’s also not a tremendous fit in what’s supposed to be a run-heavy offense. Set to become a free agent following the 2017 campaign, Seattle might look to get something in return for him now.