Photo Credit: DenverBroncos.com
The Tennessee Titans are cutting ties with veteran tight end Daniel Graham, according to ESPN’s Adam Shefter.
The 6-3, 257-pound former first-round pick was drafted 21st overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
Graham, 33, has been very consistent on the stats sheet for the majority of his 10 NFL seasons.
In his rookie campaign, he collected 15 catches for 150 yards and a score and appeared in 12 games with six starts.
He played in 14 games in 2003, with nine starts, and registered 38 receptions for 409 yards and four scores.
His numbers weren’t much different in 2004, when he again appeared in 14 games (all starts) and caught 30 passes for 364 yards and seven touchdowns. Only once since has he had at least 30 catches in a single season (2008).
In 2005, he made 16 catches for 235 yards and three touchdowns. The next season, his final season with New England, he appeared in 12 contests (11 starts) and racked up just 21 receptions for the exact same number of yards (235) and a pair of scores.
The Torrance, CA native is one of only 11 players to start a game at the high school, college and NFL level for a team in the state of Colorado. After spending his first five seasons in New England, the two-time Super Bowl champion joined the Denver Broncos.
During his four-year tenure in Denver, Graham made 102 catches for 1,072 yards and seven scores.
He agreed to take his talents to Tennessee on a three-year deal last July, and while he saw the field in every game and started seven games, Graham was used almost exclusively as a blocker last year, catching only two passes for 25 yards and a score in 2011.
That wasn’t a recipe for success in Chris Palmer’s offense. There should still be a few options available in the upcoming season for Graham if he’s interested, but it’s clear there’s not too much left in the tank in his receiving game.
The move makes Jared Cook, Craig Stevens and rookie Taylor Thompson the order of the team’s tight end depth chart.
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