New Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham enjoying his new flight path

Nate Davis | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Kam Chancellor holdout a distraction in Seattle USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell reports from Seahawks training camp as Russell Wilson and the Seahawks prepare for the 2015 season.

RENTON, Wash. — Jimmy Graham has already produced his first touchdown with the Seattle Seahawks without setting foot in an end zone.

The Pro Bowl tight end doubles as a certified pilot and — with help from former team owner John Nordstrom — landed a seaplane on Lake Washington, which borders the Seahawks' picturesque training facility in suburban Seattle.

"I'm completely set up," Graham told USA TODAY Sports after a practice this week, noting that the Virginia Mason Athletic Center also has a pier to accommodate his future plans.

"Next offseason, I'm going to fly to every workout and every OTA."

That's all nice, but Seattle traded Pro Bowl center Max Unger and its first-round draft pick to the New Orleans Saints so Graham could bring a different kind of flair through the air.

Despite their recent dominance of the NFC, the ground-bound Seahawks haven't ranked better than 26th in passing offense since Russell Wilson became the starting quarterback in 2012. No Seattle receiver has reached double-digit touchdowns since 2006, something Graham has done three times in the past four seasons.

Graham was the biggest name to join a loaded roster this offseason, but he knows he won't have to carry the Seahawks in their bid to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.

"I just need to be me. I just need to keep performing at this level that I've been performing these last couple years," he said.

"Honestly, it kind of rejuvenates me, it gives me more fuel to the fire. Obviously I was traded away and given away," he said, pausing to interject a faux laugh that suggests he's kidding about being given away but while also making a point, "And so they brought me here with open arms. So I just want to prove myself and prove I was worth it."

It's still clear Graham was as shocked as most of the football world when the Saints shipped him off to a team he'd once riled in March, just eight months after he'd signed a four-year, $40 million contract.

"It was a complete life change, and it came out of nowhere," he said. "I feel like I'm in the prime of my career, and that normally doesn't happen.

"Always felt like I did things right, always felt like I did things for the community and did everything well in New Orleans. I know a lot of people were shocked in New Orleans, (quarterback) Drew (Brees) being included. But that's the past now. I've got so much on my plate here, so I'm excited."

Teammates and coaches say he’s fit smoothly into a veteran club – even though Graham had a checkered history with defenders like Michael Bennett and Bruce Irvin, much of it stemming from a pre-game fracas during the Seahawks' defeat of the Saints in the 2013 playoffs.

"Obviously, I've had some battles against this team," said Graham. "I'm a fairly emotional guy and a fairly kind of aggressive player who some people — especially defensive guys — don't like on the field. But since Day 1 they saw I matched their intensity as far as work ethic."

Graham knows he likely won't approach 100 catches or 1,000 yards in a system that features bulldozing back Marshawn Lynch.

"That's what I was called to do out there in New Orleans, third downs and big plays," said Graham, who fought to be classified as a wide receiver during negotiations with the Saints a year ago but now seems to relish the opportunity to showcase his blocking.

"Here, this team and this offense is just built a little different. I'm going to do everything that's asked of me. All I'm about is winning."

A fast-forming bond with Wilson has eased his transition during a turbulent offseason that also brought the death of Tamara Meyerson, who treated Graham as her son after he was abandoned by his mother during childhood.

"Tremendous football player. Tremendous person, too. Really respect that and love that about him, so we've clicked since Day 1," Wilson, who skipped an offseason OTA just weeks after Graham’s arrival to attend Meyerson's funeral, told USA TODAY Sports.

"If you listen to Jimmy's story, and the fact that he's so successful on the field and off the field in so many different ways, it's impressive to watch. ... He's a force in a positive way. He's a force on the football field, where obviously it's hard to stop him. But also off the field, the story he'll be able to tell of his journey is something that can impact millions and millions of people's lives. That's what you love about him."

Graham, 28, was close to Brees, who's nearly eight years his elder. With the 26-year-old Wilson, he's forging a different relationship, but one he feels can be equally beneficial.

"Drew taught me a lot. He was definitely like an older brother who really saw a lot in me early and dedicated a lot of time to making sure that I was everything I ever wanted to be, and everything that he envisioned. He was so critical in my growth," said Graham.

"Now I come out here, and me and Russ – it's almost like the brother who's your long-lost twin, I guess.

"I think there's no ceiling to how good this connection could be on the field and also off the field. We get along so well. He's just been awesome."

Follow Nate Davis on Twitter@ByNateDavis