NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Saints have placed their franchise tag on Jimmy Graham in order to protect the clubs rights to its star tight end through next season. Josh Bynes Cardinals Jersey . The move means Graham, barring a holdout, will almost certainly play for New Orleans next season for no less than the tight end franchise tag of $7.04 million. It is also possible, under the NFLs collective bargaining agreement, that Graham could be tagged as a receiver because of how often he lined up split wide from the line. That would carry a tag of $12.3 million. However, since the Saints only placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Graham, according to a report from ESPN, teams can still try to sign the star but the Saints would be able to match any offer or be compensated with two first-round draft picks from the signing team. Once Grahams tag has been determined, the two sides could continue to argue that matter before an arbitrator. That appears to be the likely process as both side aim to determine precisely how much negotiating leverage they have before hammering out a long-term deal. Similarly, the Saints use their franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees in March 2012, then needed a little more than four months to work out the five-year, $100 million deal Brees signed shortly before training camp. Like Brees, Graham is represented by Creative Artists Agency. They do not have the same agent. Graham is represented by Jimmy Sexton and Brees by Tom Condon. The move, confirmed by team spokesman Greg Bensel, was expected as part of what is widely anticipated to be a protracted negotiation between the team and one of the best young tight ends in the NFL Graham has said publicly during the Pro Bowl in February that it would be "unfortunate," if the team used the franchise tag on him, but on Friday he reacted to the move with subtle humour. Afterward, Graham wrote on his Twitter account, "Confirming its officially Franchisefriday... TAG ... I guess Im it." Graham, a former college basketball who played one year of football at Miami, was drafted by the Saints in 2010. Last season, he led the Saints in catches with 86, yards with 1,215 and touchdowns with 16. He has led the Saints in catches in each of the past three seasons, while leading the club in yards receiving and touchdowns in two of the last three seasons. During the past three regular seasons combined, he has 270 catches for 3,507 yards and 36 touchdowns. Brice Butler Cardinals Jersey . -- A year ago, Flavia Pennetta was close to retiring from tennis. Chase Edmonds Cardinals Jersey . Basketball fans around the globe will be watching as Kobe Bryant makes his season debut - 240 days after tearing his left Achilles - against Toronto, a team he has used as his own personal punching bag. http://www.azcardinalsfanspro.com/Black-Andre-Smith-Cardinals-Jersey.html?cat=937 . -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday.PARIS -- Daniela Hantuchova will face top seed Maria Sharapova in the second round of the Open GDF Suez after beating Marina Erakovic on Tuesday. Hantuchova was leading 6-3, 3-0, and looked set for a straight-sets victory before Erakovic retired without citing a specified reason. Sharapova leads Hantuchova 8-1 in their head-to-heads, with the Slovaks only win against the four-time Grand Slam champion who has won every major when they first played 10 years ago. In other first round matches, there were wins for Frenchwoman Alize Cornet and Yvonne Meusburger of Austriia. Christian Kirk Cardinals Jersey. Cornet laboured past Magdalena Rybarikova of Serbia 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 and Meusburger beat Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 7-5, 6-1. Cornet closed out the first set on serve after breaking Rybarikova twice. The Serb struggled on her serve in the second set but Cornet missed chances to break her midway through the set and then twice dropped her own serve. At 6-5 and 30-40 on Cornets serve, Rybarikova broke Cornet again to level the match. But then Cornet broke her twice at the start of the third set to open up a 3-0 lead and regain control. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Braves Jerseys Cheap Orioles Jerseys Cheap Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Cheap White Sox Jerseys Cheap Reds Jerseys Cheap Indians Jerseys Cheap Rockies Jerseys Cheap Tigers Jerseys Cheap Astros Jerseys Cheap Royals Jerseys Cheap Angels Jerseys Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Marlins Jerseys ' ' '