Early Birds: Can Brandon Graham handle increased workload?

A few years back, John Mayberry of the Phillies filed in for some injured outfielders and did fine replacement work. He got hot for the stretch and finished the season with some pretty good numbers if projected over an entire season.

Some called for more Mayberry. Others cautioned that he was best used off the bench and not as a starter -- the opinion being that he would be exposed over the long haul. The latter group proved to be correct and Mayberry was eventually traded away.

I bring this up because the Eagles are giving one of their part-time players a more significant role. First and foremost, Brandon Graham isn't Mayberry. When given more snaps last season, he was more productive than he was playing less the year before.

But his responsibilities will grow this season, as will the pressures after he signed a big contract.

"I just wanted the opportunity to start," Graham said last month after he signed a four-year, $26 million contract with $13 million guaranteed.

Graham logged 499 of 1158 snaps (43 percent) last season and recorded 5-1/2 sacks, 13-1/2 tackles for loss, 18 hurries and 43 tackles. In 2013, when he played 27 percent of the plays, he notched three sacks, two tackles for loss, five hurries and 21 tackles.

Given more playing time, Graham produced. Yes, his expiring contract may have provided some additional motivation, but the former first round pick also benefitted from another season in Bill Davis' system.

When Graham started in place of the injured Trent Cole in the second-to-last game, however, he wasn't as effective. It was just one game, and Graham won't normally be asked to play that percentage of snaps (60 of 60), but it suggested that maybe he couldn't handle the workload.

The roster isn't set, but with Marcus Smith's development uncertain, the Eagles may have to lean on Graham and Connor Barwin even more than last season. Cole was released in March after he refused to take a significant pay reduction, and aside from re-signing Graham, Chip Kelly didn't add any free agent outside linebackers.

(Travis Long and Bryan Braman are the other outside linebackers currently on the roster.)

Barwin played 87 percent of the snaps and recorded 14-1/2 sacks and 21 hurries in 2014. Cole played 69 percent and had 6-1/2 sacks and 20 hurries. He occasionally jumped inside and played some defensive end, but his production will be difficult to replace.

Graham was asked whether he though he could make up for the slack and deliver double-digit sacks.

"No question. But at the end of the day, if we winning and ain't double digits, that's cool, too," Graham said.

After a promising rookie season was cut short by a major knee injury, Graham's sophomore season was spent mostly returning to health, his third season buried on the depth chart, and his fourth learning to play as outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

Graham initially thought that he would get better free agent offers as a 4-3 defensive end. But the Giants only offered one year and the Titans never came close to matching the Eagles.

"They really thought I was a 3-4 outside linebacker," Graham said of the Eagles. "Some of the different positions they put me in I won't be able to do that with a 4-3. … The system I know, and I got real good at it and with one more I feel like I could really take off."

The Eagles are betting on it.

HARDY SUSPENSION

The NFL announced on Wednesday that Greg Hardy will be suspended ten games this season "for conduct detrimental to the league in violation of the … NFL Personal Conduct Policy."

Hardy may not have been tried after his girlfriend dropped domestic abuse charges, but the league did it's own investigation and came down hard on the defensive end. He was also suspended for 15 games last season.

So what does this all have to do with the Eagles?

Well, the Cowboys signed Hardy to a one-year, $11.3 million deal last month. You can criticize Dallas' scruples for adding someone with so much baggage, but his talent as an edge rusher is undeniable. He was likely to become the Eagles' No. 1 cause for concern during preparations for the Cowboys this season.

But if the suspension holds – and there are some that believe the NFLPA will negotiate a lesser punishment – the Eagles won't face Hardy in the regular season. The two teams meet in Week 2 and 9.