Some NFL trades take time to blossom into something special.
Monday night's unorthodox tilt between the Bills and Seahawks is a good example: Buffalo watched running back LeSean McCoy -- acquired last year -- continue to operate at an MVP level this season for Buffalo, while Seattle -- 19 games into the Jimmy Graham trade -- couldn't be happier about the increasingly dominant handiwork of their pass-catching tight end.
Coming off a special performance that saw Graham slay the Bills for 103 yards and two touchdowns off eight catches, the former Saints star reminded the NFL community how rare of an athlete he is. Both of his scoring grabs came off dazzling, one-handed receptions with Bills defenders squeezing his left hand.
"I'm excited because a lot of people didn't believe that I'd come back," Graham said, per ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia. "A lot of people just didn't believe that I'd be able to be me again. To go out there and do that (Monday), it means a lot because I put so much work in. When no one was watching, I was in the shadows working."
One person who noticed: Russell Wilson, the Seahawks quarterback now actively lobbying for Graham to win Comeback Player of the Year honors, per Kapadia.
"Play after play, catch after catch, the catches that he's making, his grit, his ability to overcome situations and obstacles, it's a true testament to the character of man that he is and the person that he is," Wilson said.
While questions over chemistry draped the Seahawks duo last season, only one tight end -- Carolina's Greg Olsen -- has more receiving yards than Graham entering Week 10.
While the Seahawks have their issues on offense, Graham's recent dominance is a source of deep hope for Seattle's chances this season.
