You think hes a bust?
Brandon Graham agrees.
I haven't done anything really, Graham said Tuesday. 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?
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Theres an element of sarcasm when Graham says all this, but the former first-round pick knows that its up to him to shed the label hes stuck with at the moment.
Graham had three sacks as a rookie before suffering a late-season ACL tear that not only wiped out the rest of his 2010 season but also rendered him ineffective last year in the three games he got into.
Coming back, I still wasn't as in shape as I needed to be, he said after Day 1 of full-team OTAs at the NovaCare Complex. Just getting a whole year and a half under my belt, now I don't really think about my knee as I did when I was coming back. That's what I was doing a lot, I was favoring it.
Now, I just go as hard as I can and just take it one day, just keep getting better. Just keep working on the little things that I need to work on from that year and last year.
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The rookies were here for a few days last week, but this was the first practice as an Eagle for former Houston Texan DeMeco Ryans, who the Eagles acquired during the offseason to play middle linebacker. Ryans said for him, the OTAs are particularly important.
We didnt get these last year, so its important to get your feet under you and learn the defense and get all of the details of the defense down and inside and out, he said. Its very good for us to get these OTAs in. Im hitting the ground running and not slowed down by any injuries or anything like that. Im happy to be out here and able to be running full speed out here with the guys.
Tight end Brent Celek, who had off-season sports hernia surgery, was expected to be limited but seemed to participate in all the drills on Tuesday.
These OTAs arent mandatory, and veteran defensive linemen Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins were both absent. Rookie Cliff Harris was also missing, since his class at Oregon hasnt graduated yet, and NCAA rules prevent college players from attending before their class has graduated.
Trent Edwards struggled throwing the football throughout the practice ... Day 1 highlight was Michael Vicks 30-yard dart through traffic to Jeremy Maclin running down the seam ... Unlike previous OTAs and minicamps, players are banned by NFL rules from taking extra work with their position coaches after practice. The workouts are strictly timed, according to the regulations in the new CBA, and every player has to be off the field when the time is up.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com