Brandon Graham Now Eagles' Most Tenured Player
Everybody knows the story by now.
It’s about how defensive lineman Brandon Graham went from being labeled a bust after his first couple of seasons when the Eagles picked him first overall in 2010 to one of the more iconic figures in Eagles history after the strip-sack that took a potential comeback out of Tom Brady’s reach in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018.
Graham is a cautionary tale about writing early draft picks off too soon and should serve as a reminder that 2017 first-round pick Derek Barnett should not be given up on yet, or even J.J. Arcega-Whiteside cannot be cut loose before having time to prove himself after being drafted in the second round last year.
What many may not know about Graham now is that he is the longest-tenured member of the Eagles after the offseason purge of left tackle Jason Peters, who spent 11 years in Philly.
It’s a role that is not easy to come by because it means longevity with one franchise.
Tight end Brent Celek held the distinction of being the longest-tenured in the Super Bowl season of 2017. He played 11 years before retiring after winning that championship ring.
This will be season No. 11 for Graham, who has earned a home in every Eagles’ fan’s heart.
Both Celek and Graham spent their entire careers with the Eagles.
“It’s an honor to be here 11 years,” said Graham, who turned 32 last month, during a videoconference call with reporters on Thursday afternoon.
“I know when Celek was here, we were talking (about being the longest-tenured player on the roster) we were like dang. When he was thinking about all that stuff, I’m like, ‘I feel good right now. I don’t know.’ I have to keep making plays to stay here.”
A double-digit sack season would be nice. It would also be the first time he ever would have done that. The closest Graham came was 9.5 in 2017.
Graham’s value cannot be measured by just one category.
He is one of the league’s best defensive line disruptors, still quick off the ball and able to break a pocket down in a hurry or stop the run just as well.
Graham is also one of the locker room’s most outgoing personalities and one of its leaders, and just because nobody has been with the Eagles longer than him doesn’t mean he will change the way he approaches his leadership skill.
“Don’t try to do too much other than what I’ve been doing,” said Graham. “Keep learning from the best. I learned from Malcolm (Jenkins) when he was here. I seen him every day. I know what I gotta do.
“I just have to keep doing it and whatever kind of comes up I address it, and not just let stuff go by the wayside, because that’s when stuff starts to creep in and you start to allow stuff that you normally shouldn’t. Then you get into a game and try to be in a hurry up and play catchup.
“Nah, I’m going to try to address a lot of stuff early. If you start to see stuff and we’re going to have this mentality out there (of) we gotta get it on defense, it’s all a mentality. We have to get the ball carrier on the ground. That’s it.”
Graham has done a great job of that, so great he is still around, and his story is one that should be remembered when rendering too-soon verdicts on some of the other Eagles' early draft picks.
