Yes, tight end Austin Hooper had a solid year for the Falcons in 2017, with 49 catches for 526 yards and three scores. But the team hasn’t had a big-time pass-catching tight end since Tony Gonzalez retired, and a big-time pass-catching tight end is about to become a free agent.
Jimmy Graham likely wont be re-signing with the Seahawks, given the completion of the four-year, $40 million deal that Seattle inherited via a surprise trade with the Saints from three years ago.
So why not match the Falcons and Graham? It would bring him back to the NFC South, and it would immediately make him a key member of the biggest rivals of his original team.
One important factor in this potential pairing would be whatever Seahawks coach Pete Carroll would have to say privately to Falcons coach Dan Quinn and Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, both of whom previously worked for Carroll. Maligned at times for his lack of blocking skills or desires, that’s not, never has been, and never will be Graham’s gig.
The manner in which Carroll assesses Graham could go a long way toward allowing the Falcons to make a decision on whether to enhance the passing game by adding a weapon that would have been nice to have on the field in the red zone with the season on the line.