Graham: Right now, I'm a bust
Brandon Graham knows what fans think of him, and he's embracing it.
Graham: Right now, I'm a bust
Brandon Graham knows what fans think of him, and he's embracing it.
"I haven’t (done) nothing really," Graham said today after the Eagles first full-team practice of the year. "Right now, I’m a bust, so I’m going to deal with that. I’m a bust and I’m going to keep being a bust, even when I make plays, I’m going to still act like I’m a bust, you know what I’m saying?"
Graham was clearly using the criticism he has faced during his first two seasons to fuel him for what he -- and the team -- hope is a breakout third year for the 2010 first round draft pick. Graham hardly played last season after having microfracture knee surgery to help recovery from a torn ACL his rookie year. That left him with three sacks, all in his first season, to show for a pass rusher that the Eagles traded up to draft.
"Just going through that whole thing last year, not playing, I just grew as a person, that was number one," Graham said. "I've moved on from it now it’s time for me to defend myself."
He said he feels more confident in his repaired knee and brought his weight down to 265, from a high of 285 last season. With Jason Babin away and missing the voluntary camp, Graham got some snaps with the first team defense.
Graham played in just three games last year. Twice he dressed but didn't get on the field. Now, more than a year removed from his knee injury, Graham faces a make-or-break season. Several people within the organization have said they have high hopes for Graham, but that he has something to prove this year.
That's so unfair. HE GOT HURT! It could happen to any player. He was having a solid rookie season before he got hurt. Let him have the opportunity to play before calling him a bust.— soulman386- As far as I'm concerned, when a team trades up for a player, the only thing that matters is results.
You can't trade up for a relatively small player, then blame his shortcomings on injury. That's one of the reasons you don't take small players, they'll be injured.
For those who don't like him, isn't that one of the knocks against D-Jax, he's too small and therefore injury prone.
The Kool-Aid drinkers will always invent an excuse. That's what the Kool-Aid does to you. If they only knew that it isn't Kool-Aid, but the same thing used to make yellow snow.
As for Graham, at least he's speaking the truth. HE IS A BUST - so far. - Based on your theory he was injured because he is small? This maybe the most idiotic post by you. Adrian peterson tore his ACL last year. I guess because he is small...........
Seriously dude pick a better argument.— bobf876 - Your interpretation is ludicrous. No one is saying that ONLY small are susceptible to injury. I'm saying that smaller players are MORE susceptible to injury. "MORE" is the optimal word.
How foolish. - You're the one who is ludicrous. You need to get a sense of history. Read more, watch more film, get a sense of who has made it and who has not over the past 50 years in the NFL, then you can post with some common sense and intelligence. — petergou
- Not one reliable report in the long history of orthopaedics has stated that 'a smaller athlete is more susceptible to injury'. This is a science we're dealing with here, not some 'well I figured..., since everyone says...' BS. People without the slightest background in orthopaedic medicine should not even be allowed to post such lies concerning injuries. — goeagles87
- You're a talking head, and an ugly one at that ... not to mention short sighted. Small, big, medium sized--anyone can be injured. You're not old enough to have seen Leroy Keyes play at Purdue, but he was a clear top 3 pick in the draft and had he not been hurt could have been as big an impact as that "orange juice" guy. So go drink some OJ and learn some football history before you make these idiot comments on the www. — petergou
- He did not have a solid rookie season before he got hurt. Look at his numbers, he had thirteen (13) tackles and one (1) sack!! Thirteen tackles!! He could barley get on the field. He would have been a solid pick... in the late second round. As it is, he's right about himself, he is a bust.
- This is one of those occassions when fans who do not pay attention to the actual game, rather rely on what they are told by reporters and analysts overreact. This guy may indeeed be a bust, but no one can say that for sure right now. In his rookie year he played in three less games then JPP (NYG) and had 1.5 sacks less then him. The following year JPP broke out into the superstar he is and into the face of all the reporters and anylysts to pedal onto you people. Imagine for a moment the roles were reveresed and JPP was hurt last year, would it be fair to call JPP a bust? Would it be fair to criticize the Giants for poor drafting gambling on such a raw player? People are so shortsighted and foolish when it comes to sports. When i watched this guy play, I actually liked what I saw...he was always in the face of the opposing QB and really does have a high motor. Lets see what he does this year AT LEAST before labeling him a bust!— jpanarey
- That's bogus. The Eagles traded up, past the Giants, to take another undersized defensive end with a "high motor." At the time, no one was saying that Graham was such a great player. Most of us wanted to see them take Thomas to replace Dawkins. Would have settled for Pouncey at center. Pierre Paul was projected better than Graham. But the geniuses of South Philly knew better and wasted yet another pick.
- This comment has been deleted. — bedpan
- Actually both of you are wrong. Graham was graded higher than JPP because Graham played at a major college (Michigan)and was a defensive beast while there, he had high grades for character because of his community work while at Michigan. JPP played at a junior college and wasn't rated highly as a character guy. Don't get me wrong, not saying JPP isn't a heck of a ball player, but at the time Graham was graded higher thus the move up to get him.
- TNEaglefan - You are correct, I went back and looked at pre-draft grades and Graham was rated higher than JPP. JPP had virtually no experience, didn t even play High School. He was a raw talent. You can't look at just measurables as your guide to drafting. Bedpan would have drafted Ryan Leaf. You know who else had a "High Motor"??? Brian Dawkins. I kind of prefer high mootor guys over slackers but that could just be me.
Comment removed.- Which mocks were they? I checked Kiper, Walters, Blue Chip and a few others and the highest grade I found on Graham was 1st round number 19, 3 spots after JPP.
Walters- JPP 16 - Graham 19
Kiper - JPP 10 - Graham end of first, early 2nd
McShay - JPP 16 Graham 19
You can list them end to end until you reach the end of the world and you will not find a mock draft with Graham rated higher than JPP. In fact, you can't find a mock where JPP is not in the top 20 and many have him as top ten on the big talent board(even if they thought he would be drafted around 15-16) Yet Graham never gets higher than 19 and he is in the 2nd round on a bunch of boards.
I have no idea where you two get you r info, but it's bad info fellas.— UncleStosh
