Where are you at with the Graham/ Unger Trade?

[mikeak]

It was a good trade for the right player that we needed

Failure to utilize him in the redzone doesn't change the fact that it was a good trade from a football perspective

 

[Largent80]

I'm loving the trade.

 

[drdiags]

The ESPN experts have the Saints winning the trade. If the Seahawks were any other team, the trade probably is more a wash. Unger is like Okung. He was one of our top-end linemen but he just couldn't stay healthy. Being a lineman is a crapshoot anyway, with all that action around their legs it is surprising any can stay healthy for a season.

Personally, I love having Graham. He looks and plays like a pro receiver. The Seahawks don't have many of those type of weapons. Though a player of the caliber of a Dez or Julio Jones or [insert all-world WR] in this offense would be a waste, it must be crazy to have such a player on your team.

Most Seahawks receivers have been workman-like WRs. Tough as nails but not blessed with off the scale physical talents to go with supreme football smarts.

 

[jammerhawk]

It was a good trade for the Hawks! Unger, while a solid player, was hurt a lot over the last 3 seasons and was becoming unreliable. Graham is an elite player and will only get better as he and RW get more familiar with each other and our OC figures out how to use him effectively.

 

[ZagHawk]

Torn. On one hand I think the long term of the Graham trade is better, but the Hawks are in a win-now window (or were) and that O-Line definitely has cost the Hawks at least 2 games this season. Which when everything is said and done could be the difference between making the playoffs, winning the division, perhaps even getting a bye.

 

[Rob12]

I'm still happy with it. Graham is actually starting to fit into our offense quite well, and more time with Russ will just build their effectiveness together.

Unger is a very good player who could not stay healthy for us. If we are to believe the rumors, the Seahawks were going to move on from him no matter what. So really, I don't take Unger into account when it comes to Jimmy. They were a part of the same trade, but they weren't related pieces.

Jimmy for a 1st
Unger for a 4th

Unger for a 4th is not a bad return for a good, yet frequently injured Center.

Jimmy is going to do big things here.

 

[Rob12]

For me the results have been mixed. I see the potential that Graham brings, but I also believe missing Unger has been a big part of why the OL has failed to gel so far this season.

The Seahawks were used to missing Unger even when he was employed by us. He missed a ton of games the past two seasons. He simply couldn't be counted on to be on the field.

 

[akscoundrel]

While the saints got decent value in return, I don't consider it a win for them. Not when they lost jimmy graham.

 

[scutterhawk]

Graham, whether ill used or not, has been undoubtedly our best receiver. So it was a big upgrade for Seattle.

From a targets/receiving yards standpoint, he's pretty much the same as he was in NO. We haven't been able to match his scoring however and I think that's bigger than Graham.

I think it's more of a case of a good trade for all parties involved.

Yep ^
Those who're expecting Instant success from the trade for Graham are being way naïve, because it's become obvious ( to me anyways) that the Seahawks are in an O-Line rebuild, so any of the positive growth is going to be incremental.
Judging by the way the Season, and the O-Line has progressed, it looks like we're starting to see them hit their stride.
All these moving parts are starting to work together, and now I expect Graham will start getting the Targets that we all thought he would have been getting right from the get-go.
With the faltering Offensive Line, and Russell Wilson being smothered by Defenses, it's not just Jimmy Graham who's getting under utilized, it's the whole Receiving corps that has suffered.
Both NO & Seattle come out better with this trade, and IMHO anyone saying otherwise is being premature in their evaluations.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Hi all, I just wanted to stop by and get your reaction to something written the other day.

I am a Saints fan, and yesterday when I read this article, I felt like the Graham/ Unger trade was still to close to call.
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-orleans-sai ... raham-deal

I know that Graham's struggles have been well documented, but now it seems like you guys are figuring out how to use him. Unger has helped the line a ton, but he doesn't play defense, or catch passes, so his impact isn't as documented, but we are all very happy with him and Anthony.

Opinions on the trade midway through the season?

Unger was likely going to get cut as a cap saving move. He was a throw in person to help facilitate the trade. It was really Graham for pick #31. I would take that all day.

 

[marko358]

Since the Saints' Ben Watson is on pace to have more yards and TDs than Jimmy this year, maybe we traded for the wrong guy?

[tweet]https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/662718905455022080[/tweet]

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

I think most of us thought Graham would be plug and play and that Bevell would maximize Graham's talent. And that strong work ethics from JG and Wilson will have them linked up and copasetic. But...

It took half a season for all three going on the same page, and Bevell is still not utilize Graham well in the Red Zone where Bevell needs to sending back shoulder post fades to the corner to Graham being paired with the 6'5 Matthews and Willson to maximize mismatches and jumpball ability.

Seahawks easily could run a dominant goal-line look with Matthews and Graham split wide. Willson as the FB/Hback. Putting Bailey at RT and shifting Gilliam to TE. Wilson and Lynch in the back field.

But we have yet to see that type of creativity that would maximize redzone success.

But Wilson and Graham are trending up, by seasons end and hopefully into the post-season they are going to be a dominant, unstoppable force.

The line will continue to improve as well, Seahawks kind of took thier lumps but Britt, Nowak, and Gilliam are growing into thier positions, slowly but surely. And I think its helping Okung/LT and Sweezy to do what they do best without worrying too much whats going on with the others.

 

[seahawkfreak]

If you're going to bring Anthony into the discussion then we need to bring Tyler Lockett in as well, as the 4th round pick Seattle got in the trade was used, in part, to move up and draft Lockett.

All in all, I'm very happy with the trade.

My take is... It's easier to replace a center than it is to somehow acquire two exciting playmakers on offense (and special teams).

I still think we would have drafted Lockett anyways. I was excited at the time of the trade but as of now I would rather have Unger. Saints definitely got the better deal. Quality center, stud rookie MLB and rejuvenated Ben Watson. Looks like the Saints are doing just fine without Jimmy.

 

[Jazzhawk]

Frankly, I don't think our O-Line would really be much better with Unger. I mean, I liked him and all, but I just don't see THAT big of a difference between this year's o-lone and last years, considering how new players were to the line and each other.

Where I still think we are failing is in using Graham in the RZ. I don't get why he is almost never thrown to down there.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I still think we would have drafted Lockett anyways. I was excited at the time of the trade but as of now I would rather have Unger. Saints definitely got the better deal. Quality center, stud rookie MLB and rejuvenated Ben Watson. Looks like the Saints are doing just fine without Jimmy.

Doubtful, trading three picks in the 3rd round and moving up that far is not easy.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

Better off trading Unger for some picks and then sigining some vet OL players. Last in the league in redzone, its so dumb.

Yes, signing one of the best red zone targets in the NFL was so dumb to address this issue -- which was prevalent even with Unger in the team. And Lynch. And Wilson.

Honestly, this forum just gets weirder and weirder. Is there anyone on here that remembers the Ruskell days anymore?

 

[hedgehawk]

Love the trade. Think it'll work out well for both teams eventually.

 

[Bobblehead]

Our OL was as bad as it was with Unger.

I'm just happy not to see his low and very s l o w snaps.

 

[kearly]

The trade is really two separate moves disguised as one.

Unger was not dependable so the team moved on. I personally would have given Unger one more year but I had a gut feeling that Seattle had a 'two strikes and you're out' policy so dealing him did not shock me. The trade did make sense, it's just unfortunate that Seattle didn't do more to ensure quality depth at center.

The Graham part I loved. I think if Seattle had not made this move then they would have very likely used the #31 pick on Dorial Green-Beckham, and I'd take Graham and his salary over DGB in a heartbeat. Though again, like the Unger move, the real problem here was that Seattle failed to address the position the rest of the offseason, with the team failing to acquire a blocking TE replacement for Miller and Moeaki.

 

[massari]

It seems this wouldn't even be a debate if the Seahawks chose to sign Stefan Wisniewski when he was in town and the Seahawks actually used Graham properly.