Should Jimmy Graham be considered a Tight End or a Wide Receiver

It has been enjoyable and informative. That said, this round is an easy Con ballot. Pro would have you believe three things: 1) Self-identification does not matter, 2) The TE position can be readily defined, and 3) Game usage shows Graham to be a TE. These are all faulty. I. Self-IdentificationI argued that Graham's self-identification as a TE shows him to be a TE, or, at the minimum, subverts his claim as a WR. The only response is that Pro gives is that Graham could have said anything, regardless of truth. However, if Graham were to claim that he was the King of Prussia online, in a public forum, that can be changed whenever and wherever, to be the King of Norway and Not Prussia, then that would cast serious doubt on his claim to the throne of Norway and not Prussia, at the minimum. I also argued that Graham's size necessitates his designation as a TE. The only response we get here is that outliers exist, and some CB on the Cardinals is larger than average. This misses the point. Graham would be substantially larger, by at least two inches and 15 lbs, the biggest WR in the NFL. This is a massive difference. Moreover, the biggest CB from the last Combine was Stanley Jean-Baptiste, from Nebraska, at 6'3' 228 [1]. This means that 1) Pro's counterexample falls, and 2) There are legitimate ceilings and floors of each position (see my earlier sourcing), and Graham breaks the ceiling for WRs. II. Game UsageI would like to quibble with the idea that Pro can, somehow, shift his definition, without citation, from "close" to "directly next to the tackle. " If within 4 yards, less than 1/15 of the width of the football field, is not considered "close," than I do not know what possibly could be. Pro cannot fiat a definition, and then shift it. We must be reasonable when assessing positioning and distance, addressing the issue with more nuance. Graham lines up "close" to the tackle on a majority of plays. On a large minority, he lines up as a TE, to later flex out to take advantage of matchups. On the remainder, he is guarded by a S or LB, not a CB, as all receivers are (see earlier sourcing). In fact, when matched up with a CB, Graham struggles and is flexed right next to the tackle (again, see earlier sourcing). This goes effectively dropped by Pro, except for saying that the end position, not the initial starting position, determines positioning. However, Pro contradicts himself when mentioning the Wildcat, which motions a QB out to a wide position. Surely a QB is not a receiver. He has been shifted to take advantage of matchups. If this is the case, Graham's skills and sets clearly show him to be a receiving TE, not a receiver. ConclusionPro has not substantially shown why Graham's status should be shifted from TE to WR (which, incidentally, means he has failed the BOP in the round). I have demonstrated that Graham has the physical and personal attributes of a TE, lines up as a TE, and is guarded as if he is a TE. Pro's simplistic (and singular) counter-analysis cannot stand against a more nuanced analysis of this issue. Football, and its positioning, is not black and white; it is adaptive, flexible, and shifting frequently. If this is the case, we should default to the facts available to us. These facts show Graham to be a TE. As they say, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck. Graham has the build of a TE, lines up as a TE, and identifies himself on personal media as a TE. He should be considered a TE. I am proud to oppose. Thank you. Sources1. . http://www.nola.com...