Defensive end Brandon Graham says this Philadelphia Eagles defense is a family
Defensive end Brandon Graham is charged up and ready to face the Detroit Lions in front of his friends and family.
When the Philadelphia Eagles selected Brandon Graham with the 13th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, it actually was a bit of a surprise. The Eagles actually traded up that year. For many, the belief was that they had done so to take safety Earl Thomas to fill a huge void that had remained since future hall-of-famer Brian Dawkins left the team in 2008.
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Maybe the move shouldn’t have been a surprise. Former head coach Andy Reid had routinely taken an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman in the draft. What was frustrating for many Eagles supporters was most of those picks (Trevor Laws, Danny Watkins, Jerome McDougle etc) didn’t work out. Then Thomas began to look like a pro bowler in his rookie season, and Graham got off to a slow start. It appeared the trend was continuing.
Graham, to his credit, has improved every year and has now come into his own. For his career, Graham has totaled 179 tackles and 26.5 sacks. He’s also forced 13 fumbles, recovered two fumbles and has even knocked down two pass attempts. He’s done most of that in a reserve role.
The Eagles expressed their appreciation for the defensive end by awarding him with a four year extension worth 26 million. That guaranteed the big guy would get 14 million. Now, as the defensive end continues to grow and mature, it appears that selection the Eagles made in 2010 is working out quite nicely.
The Eagles now shift their attention to the Detroit Lions. Head coach Doug Pederson has emphasized the importance of this team remaining humble. He also wants to approach each game as though they haven’t won any. Graham, a former member of the Michigan Wolverines, talked about playing in front of friends and family and how the defense has built comradery off of the field.
Take a listen:
Sunday isn’t too far away, and thank goodness for that. The Eagles will look to remain undefeated and avenge one of their worst losses from a season ago.
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