Eagles' Graham happy to be back

BRANDON Graham finally got to work on the field with defensive line coach Jim Washburn yesterday.

Teammate Jason Babin said Graham got an earful of Washburn's special form of encouragement, as Graham practiced for the first time this year. Graham required an ACL repair and microfracture surgery for a right-knee injury suffered against the Cowboys last Dec. 12, and he returns with the Birds about to play Dallas again. It would be a surprise if Graham were ready for game action this week, though.

"I heard 'Wash' talking to him very generously. He was just coaching him up a little bit, letting him know what he was doing wrong. Everyone's learning curve on Wash's style of defense is different," Babin said after the Birds' brief practice, the team getting back to business following the bye week.

Babin noted that Graham has been in meetings, even if he hasn't been able to practice. As a member of the group of defensive ends in those meetings, Graham has "been yelled at for things he hasn't even done yet," Babin joked.

Graham, the Eagles' 2010 first-round pick, is eligible to practice with the team for the next 3 weeks before the Birds must either make a roster move to bring him aboard or end his season by putting him on injured reserve. All indications are that Graham will join the roster, but maybe not this week.

When the Eagles hired Washburn to implement his "wide nine" pass-rush technique last winter, it was to take advantage of the speed they have at DE. Graham was front and center in that calculation; Babin, now the starter opposite Trent Cole, hadn't arrived yet in free agency. Graham has said the setup favors his natural style.

Along with Graham, defensive end Trent Cole (calf) and left tackle Jason Peters (hamstring) practiced yesterday. They are expected to play against Dallas. Fellow linemen said the first team o-line was Peters, left guard Evan Mathis, center Jason Kelce, right guard Danny Watkins and right tackle Todd Herremans. Winston Justice's strong performance at right tackle against the Redskins in the win that took the Eagles into their bye, Justice's first action of 2011, wasn't enough to earn Justice a lineup spot, it would seem.

Graham, as is often the case with injured players, said he didn't really feel he was part of the team this season until he finally could practice with his teammates.

"It's been hard. You want to be a part of the wins and losses . . . I haven't felt like that," Graham said. He said after his injury, he was hoping for a 6-month ACL repair recovery, which wouldn't have caused him to miss any games, but that wasn't how it went. It was apparent by the time training camp started that Graham's recovery would stretch into the season.

Graham said he feels he'll need "a week or two" to get back in game shape.

"I feel good. I know I have to get my wind up a little bit," Graham said. "As I play in the games, it'll get better . . . I feel a lot better than I expected. I was a little bit nervous going out there, because I haven't played in a year. I was kinda timid, a little bit, at first. But once I [realized] there ain't nothin' wrong with me - let's go."

Graham said there has been no discussion of when he will play.

"I know they're going to evaluate me during the week. I know all eyes are on me for right now. I'm going to give 'em everything I've got," he said.

"It felt good. Everybody was announcing, 'Ah, we got [number] 54 back,' " Graham said.

Babin said Washburn's gruff, frequently profane style is aimed at "making you get out of your comfort zone." He said he feels Graham understands that type of motivation. "I think he's going to answer the bell," Babin said.

Graham said he worked at both end positions yesterday, in what Babin called "a nice, easy practice."

Neither Peters nor Cole was available for comment. Babin, Cole's hunting pal, said he thought Cole was fine, that he "climbed up that tree stand fine this week."

Brent Celek spent his bye weekend at Michigan State, where his brother, Garrett, plays tight end. Took in Garrett's game against Wisconsin while he was there. Celek was very glad he did, even though Garrett suffered a concussion and wasn't on the field for the spectacular, Hail Mary, final-play touchdown that won the game.

Celek said that among games he has seen, this was second in excitement only to last Dec. 19's miraculous Eagles win at the Giants.

"I was right next to Wisconsin's bench. I saw it happening," Celek said. "I thought it was a touchdown at the beginning," although the ruling on the field was that Spartans receiver Keith Nichol had been stopped short of the goal line. The touchdown was awarded upon review.

Eagles weakside linebacker Brian Rolle will go home to Florida Saturday for the funeral of his biological father, even though their relationship was not a close one, Rolle said yesterday. He will return for Sunday night's game against Dallas. His father passed away over the weekend after having been hospitalized following a stroke, Rolle said . . . Michael Vick said the Eagles were "bouncing around out there today and had a good practice" in their return from the bye. The regular practice schedule resumes tomorrow . . . Asante Samuel declined a couple of attempts to get him to discuss the remarks Samuel made on 97.5 FM during the bye about the Eagles not wanting him, given that they let it be known he was available at the trade deadline last week. "Andy [Reid] put me under a gag order," Samuel joked as he left Nova-Care.