This Is Brandon Graham's Time

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Jason Babin, he of 18 sacks a season ago, suffered a calf strain over the weekend that originally was thought would cost him a week of training camp. An MRI revealed a more significant strain however, and now there is talk Babin could miss the entire preseason.

Assuming that's all the Birds' prolific pass rusher misses, a defensive line that racked up a league-best 46 sacks in 2011 is still largely intact for September 9 kickoff. In the meantime though, Babin's absence gives Brandon Graham a shot to work himself back into the rotation after essentially losing last year to his recovery from microfracture surgery.

Already a bust in the eyes of many fans, the 13th overall selection from the 2010 Draft was having a quietly productive rookie season until he tore his ACL in Week 14. The damage was extensive, and Graham faced with a long road back.

There seems to be this perception that Graham is either hurt all the time, or he plain isn't good enough to get on the field. The reality is Graham has had just the one serious injury in his NFL career, but it was severe enough -- and the timing bad enough -- that his chances of being productive in year two were always in doubt.

Graham was dinged up a bit during his rookie season, but managed to appear in all 13 games before his ACL went, starting in six. And while he only got to the quarterback three times, Pro Football Focus named him to their All-Rookie Team, and explained he graded as the most effective rookie pass rusher at end based on total pressures.

The injury was a major setback obviously, especially because it happened so late in the season. Recovery time for an ACL can already be up to a year. When it was later revealed microfracture surgery was also involved, the feeling was Graham would not be ready last September.

Sure enough, he wasn't. Graham started 2011 on the PUP list, and once activated he would only play 56 snaps over three games. After the Eagles were officially eliminated from playoff contention, the team shut Graham down for the remainder.

2012 is really the first time the Michigan product has been healthy since his rookie year, but expectations are still low for those who toss around the bust label like it's nothing. For some, it's as simple as a first-round pick has accomplished nothing in his first two years. Others see safety Earl Thomas -- the 14th pick in '10 -- making the Pro Bowl for Seattle while Eagles safeties scuttle. That said, if Graham is 100%, he still has the potential to be an impact player.

For what it's worth, Graham has embraced the bust term, and even uses it as motivation. Now he's working with the first-team defense while Babin tends to his own injury. That means once preseason games get underway, Graham will finally have an opportunity to leave fans -- and more importantly, coaches -- with a new impression. From there, who knows. Maybe the Birds will make good on that pick after all.

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