Arkush: Nagy looks forward to setting Graham loose in mismatches
Remember back in the day when people shook hands, walked around without masks, actually were able to get within six feet of each other and the NFL was just the NFL?
It's hard to believe that was just five months ago, right about the time NFL free agency opened and the Chicago Bears first major move was inking a surprisingly pricey deal with former Saints, Seahawks and Packers tight end Jimmy Graham.
Through five seasons in New Orleans and three in Seattle, Graham was a five-time Pro Bowler and first team All Pro in 2013 in New Orleans, in a league that featured Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates in their primes.
Some thought Graham was on the road to Canton.
But there was also a fierce battle over money in New Orleans that led to his trade to the Seahawks, and after he became the first and only player ever fined by the league for violating its player/media relations rules, rumbles began in some places about his attitude.
In his final year in Seattle prior to heading to Green Bay for two seasons, while he was a Pro Bowler on the strength of 10 touchdowns, Graham saw a precipitous drop-off in production that continued with the Packers.
So what was Bears general manager Ryan Pace thinking when he signed Graham?
At the time he explained, “I think it's a good example where we are all connected to a vision with a player on our team.
“He's a guy we know well,” Pace continued. “But then you have to fit with our offensive scheme. And I just think there are a lot of discussions on how to maximize Jimmy Graham in this offense, and that's with Matt and all of our offensive coaches and our scouts. We're all really excited about him being a Bear and how we are going to maximize him.”
Head coach Mat Nagy added, “He's very, very motivated right now which I love and so it's just a fit for us of a big sized, you know, 6-6 playmaker that you can get some mismatches with. I'm very, very looking forward to being able to put him in some great situations.”
Two padded practices into training camp, Graham's motivation is clear, and as he indicated in his lone visit with Chicago media to date, there does appear to be a chip on his shoulder that is hard to miss.
Graham looks at times like the biggest guy on the field. He is clearly a matchup nightmare for any defense, and while I'm not sure he's really cut it loose yet, as he told us back in the spring, “I'm still fast.”
A 6-foot-7, 265-pound tight end that's clocked 4.4 40-yard dashes is a weapon worth having, even if there are personality quirks that come along for the ride.
No one has ever suggested he's a bad guy, just different.
At his first practice after each of his first three TD grabs, Graham violently spiked the ball in the end zone.
Tuesday after another spike or two he took to throwing the ball all the way back to the line of scrimmage after catching it with everyone on the field taking notice.
Always noteworthy in training camp is the first fight, and while not the instigator, Graham did start it Tuesday going after Deon Bush after Bush tackled him in a non-live drill after Graham had beaten him to the ball across the middle.
If Nagy has an issue with Graham's aggressiveness he's certainly not saying so.
“That's energy. That's the swagger that we need on offense,” Nagy said. “We need that energy, that guy that has that fire, and there's nothing wrong with that.
“We're talking every day about being as competitive as we possibly can in every single period. You see some of the coaches get at it. It's all in love. It's all in fun. Nothing's malicious. But you need to have that.”
Right now it's all just for show and carving out his role on the roster, but should Graham rekindle some of the past glories he's showing flashes of, Pace and Nagy may just have that whole new dimension they're looking for in their offense regardless of who the quarterback is.
Twitter: @Hub_Arkush