Saints sign former fan favorite to one-year deal

A former Saints fan favorite, Graham was one of the best tight ends in football from 2010-14. New Orleans traded him to Seattle before the start of the 2015 season for center Max Unger and Graham never matched the heights of his New Orleans days.

Following a three-year stint with the Seahawks, Graham bounced around with the Packers and Bears for two seasons apiece from 2018-21. He spent last season as an unsigned free agent.

Graham responded to the news by tweeting a GIF of wrestler The Undertaker emerging from a coffin. 

Some likely needed to do a double-take when seeing the news, with the signing not a ceremonial "one-day" contract where Graham can retire a Saint but a legitimate one-year deal with Graham having a chance to compete for playing time in a crowded tight end room.

2022 starter Juwan Johnson agreed to stay in New Orleans this offseason. Last year, he had 42 receptions, 508 yards and seven touchdowns. The team also added Foster Moreau, a New Orleans native who played college football at LSU.

One of quarterback Derek Carr's favorite targets in Oakland/Las Vegas was tight end Darren Waller and he has three potential targets at the position in New Orleans. Graham is nowhere near the player he was the last time he played his home games in the Superdome, but is still a very large human at 6-foot-7. He can still be a valuable threat in the red zone, as his eight-touchdown season in 2020 showed.

Last week, New Orleans was on Graham's mind as he tweeted "Loved that stadium" in response to a video of one of his Superdome highlights. 

During his first five years in the league with New Orleans, he led tight ends with 4,752 receiving yards and had the second-most touchdowns (51), trailing only likely Future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski (54). His 85 career touchdowns are also the second-most among tight ends from 2010 through 2022.

At the beginning of his career, Graham -- a former college basketball player -- would celebrate his touchdowns by dunking the ball over the goal post. 

His most famous one came in 2013 at Atlanta when he actually bent the goalpost, causing a delay.

The league outlawed that celebration the following season, his last in New Orleans - or so we thought.