METAIRIE, La. – Jimmy Graham apparently still feels some ill will toward the New Orleans Saints. Graham told former teammate Akiem Hicks via Twitter that he should "feel blessed u got out of there" after Hicks was traded to the New England Patriots.
Graham’s tweet was quickly deleted, but NOLA.com’s Christopher Dabe captured a screen grab.
From Jimmy Graham to Akiem Hicks: pic.twitter.com/MaUH5T0oIU
— Christopher Dabe (@cmdabe) October 1, 2015Graham has never openly talked about any ill will toward the Saints after he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. But there have been indications the relationship went south after the Saints and Graham battled over his contract last year, including an arbitration hearing over whether he should be considered a tight end or a wide receiver. And Graham and Saints coach Sean Payton had a passionate shouting match on the sideline last preseason after Payton was upset with Graham’s penalties for dunking after touchdowns.
There also have been plenty of indications about how badly the overall atmosphere deteriorated in New Orleans during the 2014 season, including fights inside the locker room, other players who became disenchanted and an overall lack of respect.
The Saints have worked hard to repair that culture this year, overhauling nearly half of the roster among other changes.
There has never been any indication that the Saints considered Graham part of that culture problem – he was traded mostly because of how much he could bring in trade value.
But leaders such as Payton, Drew Brees, Zach Strief and Kenny Vaccaro have consistently talked about how much better the atmosphere has become this year, despite another 0-3 start.
"It's a lot better to come to work in this atmosphere than it was last year," Strief said after Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, adding that he "loves the guys" and calling it one of his favorite teams. "But at the end of the day, if we don't find a way to win, this culture will change again because none of us are going to be here."