Jimmy Graham has been one of the NFL's most prolific tight ends since entering the league in 2010. (AP)
The Seahawks were poised to make big-budget acquisition at 1 p.m. when teams were eligible to begin signing free agents. It's just not the kind anyone expected. Tight end Jimmy Graham isn't a free agent, after all. Neither is Max Unger, but the Seahawks reached an agreement to trade their former Pro Bowl center – along with their first-round pick, No. 31 overall – for Graham as well as a later-round pick. Jay Glazer of FOX – who first reported the trade – said it was a fourth-round pick. The trade was subsequently confirmed by 710 ESPN Seattle with two sources. Seattle's need at tight end was no mystery after last week's release of Zach Miller, who was limited to three games last season because of an ankle injury and suffered a setback in his recovery from the procedure. Seattle returned Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet at the position and re-signed Anthony McCoy, but the fact the Seahawks were mentioned as one of the suitors for Denver's Julius Thomas – who has agreed to sign with Jacksonville – showed their need. Now, the Seahawks get Graham, only one of the more prolific receiving tight ends in the league. At age 28, he has caught more than 80 passes each of the previous four seasons. A former basketball player at the University of Miami, Graham was a third-round pick in 2010. A free agent last year, he was designated as the Saints' franchise player before subsequently agreeing to a longer-term deal. The upshot for the Seahawks: They gets a top-shelf receiving tight end who is scheduled to make $27 million over three years. They lose, however, the center who was one of the more stabilizing parts of their offensive line, but someone who missed significant time this season both with foot and then a knee injury. Unger has missed a total of 13 games over the previous two seasons. The trade leaves Patrick Lewis as Seattle's backup center with Lemuel Jeanpierre also a consideration.
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