Roseman looks for improvement from Graham, Allen, Jarrett
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Roseman looks for improvement from Graham, Allen, Jarrett
Jonathan Tamari
INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the biggest problems for the Eagles recently has been drafting big-time defensive players. While the Eagles passed on Jason Pierre-Paul -- who has gone on to become a star with the Giants -- high picks such as Brandon Graham and Jaiquawn Jarrett have made little impact and Nate Allen has been up and down, at best.
Back at the Combine, where presumably general manager Howie Roseman will again be looking at players who could upgrade the defense, he talked up the possibilities for his recent picks, and called on each to improve in 2012.
"To tell you that we know exactly what they’re going to be at this point, they know that they’ve got to step up their game and they’re looking forward to it, but the work ethic is there. They want to be great players and we’ve seen it out of them," Roseman said, speaking specifically about Graham and Allen.
On Jarrett he said: "You get a guy in like that who's a rookie and doesn’t have a lot of offseason and maybe it’s a bigger adjustment than we thought. He's been in lifting already and I think he’s got a chip on his shoulder and what we’re really looking to see and we’ve told him is the nastiness, the stuff that we saw in college that he had and playing fast and I think that’s a product of knowing what you’re doing."
Unless Graham, Allen and Jarrett show improvement, the 2010 and 2011 trio could follow in the footsteps of other recent disappointing defensive picks such as Trevor Laws, Victor Abiamiri, Steward Bradley and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim.
Roseman, though, noted that Graham and Allen have been slowed by injuries after what he said were fast starts, and hopes that Jarrett will improve with a full offseason to prepare. Much of the discussion with reporters focused on Graham, the 13th overall pick in 2010.
"We have high expectations for Brandon Graham," Roseman said. "When he came into training camp he was unbelievably productive, in fact he became a starter because of his production in training camp."
But an early high ankle sprain -- "that's a tough injury," Roseman said, was followed by a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
"We knew this year was going to be a struggle for him," Roseman said. (Allen, too, suffered a serious knee injury as a rookie and was slowed last season).
As to why the Eagles chose Graham over Pierre-Paul, Roseman elaborated on some recent comments about that big decision in 2010.
"We went into the draft knowing that those two were going to be very good players. What sold us on Brandon was his production. He was productive for four years, he was a two-time team captain, he played in a big-time conference, and that’s not taking away from any other defensive ends that were drafted, but we felt very comfortable that he fit what were trying to do on defense, great character guy, he had the work ethic to succeed."
Graham, in particular, is aware of the JPP comparisons and "sees that out there and he wants more for himself."
While Graham and Allen have at least showed glimpses of what they could be, Jarrett hardly saw the field in 2011, despite the Eagles' need for safety help, and made little impression when he did play. He was invisible on special teams. Roseman made clear that the team expects more and said he believes a full offseason will help Jarrett be the big-hitter the team touted when they picked him.
"The more he’s around, the has an offseason, the better chance he has of being that kind of player," he said.
He wants them to succeed because his job depends on it. News flash.....They suck! G'bye Howie!— NC Eagle Fan- Jarrett, Allen and Graham are all busts. Sorry. Howie just has no idea what he is doing. The Lawyer wouldn't know good defensive talent if he was tackled by it at the combine. Every time I read the phrase, "Eagles GM Howie Roseman" I want to scream. What a joke.— coloradoeagle
- Have faith, I have a plan.
Signed Howie Roseman— eaglessuck@life - Don't draft someone from BC because we drafted another player at a different position from there 16 years ago and he didn't work out.— p-diddy
- I fault Andy Reid, Andy is the Cheeseburger in the Eagles Happy Meal.— Dexter
- Roseman will ruin this draft as well. He should stick to contracts and have nothing to do with drafting. He is a nincompoop, no matter what Lurie thinks of him. As long as Lurie believes he can win a Super Bowl on the cheap (the insidious myth that Andy sold him) we are stuck with these clowns. At this rate, the freaking Redskins will win one before we do.— NM Eagle fan
- NEWS FLASH!!! The Redskins have already won three, I Repeat, THREE SUPER BOWLS. The Giants four (or is it five? I lost count); the Cowboys five (or is it four? I lost count) In fact (gasp)the ONLY thing I'm sure of is that the Eagles are the only, I Repeat, ONLY team in the NFC East without a Super Bowl trophy. Any season now I expect the other NFC teams to petition to have the Eagles permanently removed from the conference as an embarrassment and the one team that has failed to live up to the high standards set by the other NFC East member teams. And, who can blame them? — essell
- Terrible Player with Work Ethic = BUST!— younged
WOW The All Stars of Philly GLOOM posting on here today...hahahahha.
