NFL Trade News: Seahawks Acquire Jimmy Graham; Sam Bradford to Philadelphia
The Seattle Seahawks have sealed a deal with the New Orleans Saints in getting tight end Jimmy Graham while the Philadelphia Eagles have acquired Sam Bradford.
According to ESPN, the New Orleans Saints have agreed to send Graham and a fourth-round draft pick to Seattle for Max Unger and the 31st pick in the draft this year.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis thanked Graham for his contribution to the team during the last five seasons.
"He became a very productive tight end with our team. We wish Jimmy the best of luck in the future. We also want to welcome Max to our team. Max has been an instrumental Pro Bowl player with Seattle since being drafted in 2009 in the second round. In addition, with the first round draft pick, we will have the opportunity to impact our team for years to come," ESPN quoted Loomis as saying.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, said that they are "thrilled" with the acquisition of Graham saying that the team will "remain relentless in our pursuit of sustaining that championship culture."
Last season, Graham was credited for catching 85 passes for 889 yards and making 10 touchdowns but ESPN said he was less effective in the downfield.
With him going to Seattle, Graham is expected to be a "perfect target" for Russel Wilson who has a total QBR of 89.7 when he targets tight ends.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have also finalized a deal with the St. Louis Rams to get Bradford in exchange for Nick Foles.
Yahoo Sports said the Rams will acquire Foles and get the Eagles' fourth-round pick during the 2015 draft and a second-round pick for next year's draft. The Eagles, on the other hand, will get Bradford and the Ram's fifth-round pick in this year's draft.
Bradford, for the last two seasons, has torn his left ACL twice which both ended his participation during each year's season. Yahoo Sports said he was only able to play for seven games in 2013 and was not able to play last year.
With him in his final contract year, Bradford is expected to "give the Eagles a potential further trading chip in their apparent goal to move upward in the draft," according to Yahoo Sports.
The Business Insider explained that the Eagles will get a third round pick from the Rams in 2016 if Bradford will not be able to participate in the games or a fourth round pick if he has fewer than eight games. The report added that this deal is expected to create great implications on the league and the upcoming draft.