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NEW ORLEANS -- The Saints Jimmy Graham and the NFL Players Association were dealt a setback Wednesday when an arbitrator ruled that he can only be considered a tight end for the purposes of his franchise tag designation. Clearance Nike Roshe . NFLPA had filed a grievance arguing that Graham was used as a wide receiver often enough to qualify for the more lucrative receiver tag. But arbitrator Stephen Burbank disagreed and now the NFLPA is reviewing his ruling, and will advise Graham on his options, which could include an appeal. Grahams case is being closely watched around the league because it could set a precedent for negotiations involving players who fill diverse roles in their teams offensive or defensive schemes. For example, some outside linebackers in a 3-4 defensive scheme could argue their right to receive the higher defensive end tag. NFL franchise tags, which allow each team to keep one prized player who is due to become a free agent, were set this year at $7 million for tight ends and $12.3 million for receivers. Burbank, who is also a University of Pennsylvania law professor, found that Graham could fulfil the standard duties of a tight end when he was lined up in the slot or within 4 yards of an offensive tackle, as he was for most of his snaps. Burbank further pointed out that defences usually accounted for Graham as a tight end, regardless of his alignment, by assigning a linebacker or safety to cover him. "Like tight ends, wide receivers and running backs often line up in the slot," Burbanks ruling stated. "The defence employed against any player so aligned turns on the players position, not his alignment, because of the physical attributes and skill sets of the players in those positions." Burbank indicated there could be merit to the NFLPA contention that Graham cannot be considered a tight end when he does in fact line up as a wideout. However, because both sides stipulated that Graham lined up within 4 yards of an offensive tackle for nearly 55 per cent of his snaps, Burbank said he did not need to address the minority of instances in which offensive formations employed by Saints coach Sean Payton placed Graham at a wider distance from the offensive line. The NFLs collective bargaining agreement states that franchise tags should be applied according to the position at which a player lines up for the majority of his snaps. Graham has skipped Saints off-season practices while holding out for a new, long-term contract. A favourable ruling from Burbank would have further enhanced negotiating leverage for Graham, who last season led the Saints with 86 catches for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns. Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said the club would have no comment on the ruling, and Sexton did not respond to a request for comment. In its statement, the NFLPA said: "We will also continue to assist Graham and his representation as necessary to help the player reach a fair long-term deal with the New Orleans Saints." Such disputes are not frequent, but draw lots of attention because of their potential to set a precedent. Baltimores Terrell Suggs, the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year, argued in 2008 that he should be tagged as an end, not a linebacker. The difference back then was about $800,000. That dispute ended when Suggs signed a new long-term contract with the Ravens. He later helped them win the 2012 NFL championship. July 15 is the final day a team can sign 2014 franchise players to long-term extensions. Otherwise, they must play under their franchise tag designation for one season, after which they would be set to become free agents. Discount Nike Roshe Shoes .com) - Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was named the National League Player of the Month for April. Nike Roshe Clearance . Klose has a bruised pelvic bone and abdominal muscle problems but team doctors are trying to get him fit in time for the match. Bender has a hamstring injury. Germany is already without half-dozen players, due to injury or bad form. http://www.discountnikeroshe.com/ .Then came December.Three straight losses, including a crushing 27-24 defeat to Washington (4-11) on Saturday, has the Eagles (9-6) on the brink of playoff elimination. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Teemu Selanne followed Paul Kariyas instructions and got dirty to end his 19-game goal drought. Even with help from the Finnish Flash, the Anaheim Ducks still needed a late goal from their top line to hold off the last-place Edmonton Oilers. Dustin Penner scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:17 to play, Ryan Getzlaf extended his points streak to 14 games, and the Pacific Division-leading Ducks beat Edmonton 3-2 on Sunday night for their fifth straight victory. Selanne hadnt scored a goal since Oct. 20, matching the longest gap of his two-decade NHL career, and had no points in his last 16 games. The 43-year-old forward finally picked up his 679th career goal in front of Ilya Bryzgalov on a setup from Mathieu Perreault, adding to the 11th-best total in NHL history. Selanne recently got a text from Kariya, his longtime Anaheim teammate, telling him to get into "the dirty areas" on the ice. "He said, Just go to the net, and good things happen," Selanne said. "Ive been waiting a long time. Obviously, its a big relief. Its a little easier because were winning. Ive had some good chances lately, and it didnt go in. Hopefully, this is going to be a good confidence boost for myself." Jonas Hiller made 23 saves to help the Ducks improve to 13-0-2 at Honda Center. Corey Perrys seven-game goal streak ended, but his linemates connected for the deciding score in the Ducks 15th win in their last 17 meetings with Edmonton. Nick Bonino also scored as the Ducks shook off early rust in their return from three days off to complete a three-game homestand. Anaheim is the only NHL team without a regulation loss at home, extending the second-longest such streak to open a season in the shootout era. "We played a lot more desperate after they tied it up," Penner said. "Our line wasnt very good all game, but sometimes you need those breaks. ... We havent had a lot of home games, so we put a lot of emphasis on them." Penner beat Bryzgalov with a wrist shot from the circle after a setup from Getzlaf, who has scored in each of his last 16 games. Thhe Anaheim captains streak only counts as 14 games because of an injury absence. Cheap Nike Roshe Shoes. Sam Gagner scored the tying goal with 9:34 to play for the Oilers, who have lost three straight. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored, and Bryzgalov stopped 31 shots. "I wish I could find something in our game that was deficient, but we played strong," Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said. "I cant find a whole lot wrong with our game there. I thought, to a man, our guys played excellent. Its a game of mistakes, but I thought our mistakes tonight were honest ones, so its hard to place blame. It was one of those nights where you thought you might at least get a point, if not both." Edmontons Corey Potter got a major and a game misconduct for checking Bonino from behind in the second period, sending the Anaheim centre face-first into the boards. Bonino wasnt hurt, and the Ducks did nothing with the ensuing five-minute power play. Selannes goal put Anaheim in control until Gagner took advantage of a mix-up near the Ducks blue line and broke past rookie defenceman Hampus Lindholm, beating Hiller with a wobbly backhand for just his fourth goal of the season. "I thought we were in a good spot (after that goal) because we were playing well, but weve got to figure out a way to close that game out," Gagner said. "Were not happy. I mean, youve got to find a way to at least get it to overtime. We played a solid game." The injury-plagued Ducks finally got some good news before the game, welcoming back defenceman Francois Beauchemin and Perreault. Beauchemin was a plus-15 before missing the last 10 games with an upper-body injury, while Perreault missed four games with a lower-body injury. NOTES: Edmonton RW Ales Hemsky sat out for the first time this season with sore ribs. ... Anaheim fans repeatedly booed Edmonton D Justin Schultz, who refused to sign with the Ducks and ducked out of his connection to them through the draft last year, using a college loophole to become a free agent. ... Anaheim is the only NHL team with three five-game winning streaks this season. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '