Former first-round pick Brandon Graham is getting close to returning from a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve to finish his rookie season, and has cost him the first half of the 2011 campaign.
Currently on the PUP list, Graham will be eligible to return to action for the Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, but to activate the second-year defensive end the team must part ways with one of the players currently on the roster.
The way I see it, the two most likely candidates to receive the ax are a pair of veterans, defensive end Juqua Parker and safety Jarrad Page.
The 33-year old veteran Parker has had a tough season. He’s been hobbled by injuries throughout the year, hasn’t been able to give the team effective play, and was involved on one of the most egregious plays of the season, his notorious off-sides penalty in Buffalo which cost the Eagles a chance to win the game. He’s recorded just four tackles and no sacks in the four games he’s played in. Parker looks like he’s at the end of the line, and with all of the wear and tear he’s suffered over the years, he has very little to offer the team moving forward.
Page was a safety who was brought in to provide veteran insurance for all of the young players at the position. He began the season as a starter because of Nate Allen’s struggles in the preseason, but quickly played his way out of a job. He looks slow and unsure of himself on the field, and frequently misses tackles. After being removed from the lineup in the second half of the Buffalo game, the former Chief didn’t even dress for the contest in Washington, and seems to have been surpassed by rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett on the depth chart.
I think that the signs point to Page being the odd man out. If he’s truly been bumped down below Jarrett on the depth chart, there is little reason to keep him around. He’s already shown the team that he can’t play, and is a liability on the field. The defense’s play has gotten noticeably better with him on the bench, and the safety combo of Allen and Kurt Coleman on the field.
The Eagles would be carrying five safeties with Page on the team. It made more sense to carry an extra safety early in the season when Nate Allen had shown that his knee wasn’t fully recovered, and the team clearly wasn’t comfortable with putting the rookie Jarrett on the field. So the team brought in the veteran Page to be a stopgap solution while Allen recovered and Jarrett got comfortable with the scheme. Allen is on the field now, and Jarrett was active for the first time all season. Page doesn’t have a future here, so why keep an extra veteran safety that will only be active again if one of the other four suffers an injury?
The other cut-down candidate, Parker, still offers the team a little bit of value. Every defensive end except Jason Babin and Phillip Hunt has been banged up, and is dealing with an injury that has caused them to miss time. Trent Cole has missed the last two games with a calf injury, Darryl Tapp has been fighting a pectoral injury since Week 1, Parker a high ankle sprain, and the team isn’t sure how effective Graham will be coming back from his injury. Having as much depth at this injury-riddled position is going to be important, so hanging on to Parker and hoping he can get healthy and give the team a little production might be the best move.
Someone is going to have to come off of the roster to make room for Graham. I feel like Parker and Page are by far the most likely choices for release, but we’ll see how it all plays out.
This shouldnt be that hard of a decision at all, get rid of Page now!
Without a doubt, it will be Safety Jarrad Page and another player who cannot get on the field and has kinda of disappeared off the radar is LB Keenan Clayton
The Eagles don’t have much Depth at LB but Clayton’s fall has been quick and the word on him all along is that he was not much of a practice player and not very disciplined in his mastery of the Defenses and Coverages.. He’s a heck of an athlete and probably the best pure Blitzer out of the Eagles LB Corps but since the Eagles don’t Blitz much anyways, I just don’t see him being active unless an injury occurs to one of the other LB’s
One thing that does crack me up and it was used in this article is that JP Off-Side cost the EAgles a chance to win the game.. Just like WR K Curtis dropped pass on that 4th Down play at mid-field vs the CArdinals in the NFC Championship and just like WR Maclins drop on that 4th down Pas svsrus the Falcons.. In all 3 cases, the EAgles were not in very good position to win any of thems games… If Parker doesn’t jump, the BIlls punt the Ball and Eagles have 80 yards to go with no timeouts with 50 Seconds left… If Curtis catches that ball versus the CArdinals, the Eagles still need 40 years to go to score a Touchdown and again with very little time on th eclock and of course no timeouts.. and then the J Maclin drop where again the Eagles still needed 35-40 yards to go with no timeouts left as well.. These plays sure did end those games, but all 3 of the games the Eagles were not really threatening to win or even deserved to win in the 1st place.. The last minute of a game is important just like the other 59 minutes are and were in these particular contestes… and the biggest common denominator is the Fact that the Eagles are always out of Timeouts at the end of games when they need them..
Page is toast.
Page should be the one to go, then Graham can take his place on the deactivated list. Graham seems like a nice guy, and it’s not his fault he was selected 13th overall, but his unremarkable play and small size is a constant reminder of the ridiculous draft evaluation done by this franchise. The giants big, strong DE Pierre-Paul was siting right there and is currently kicking ass, but we trade up to take an undersized bust! someone wake me when Reid is gone.
Paulman why do you bring up those torturous moments, isn’t it bad enough as is, bye week at 2-4, and cardinals playing four a world series while the Best team in baseball is home,still not over that one, ouch
We should of gotten Burress for our redzone problems; Fire Reid.
rastadoc – this is where I get frustrated – Pierre-Paul did NOTHING last year as a rookie – NOTHING. He rarely played – Graham started 6 games played in 13 and had some decent plays until he got hurt. Now that Graham is hurt and not playing Pierre starts out with a decent sophmore campaign while Graham is hurt – and all the sudden his non-existent play (because he is hurt maybe???) is unremarkable and at 6’2 270 he is undersized – lets take a look shall we – strahan played at 275, dwight freeney 268, jared allen 270, trent cole 270, jason babin 260, justin tuck 274
so where in goods green earth is this ‘undersized’ conversation coming from – he is ‘undersized compared to who????? Tuck was 256 coming out of college.
I swear people on this site just make stuff up – he’s undersized as a DE at 270? as a rookie Pierre-paul was 270 at his pre-draft weight. So you are making the argument they picked an undersized guy but they should have picked someone that weighed the same – wow……..
do me a favor – next time you read an article or blog, especially on this site – verify a few of the facts before you give it any credibility – I use the stats reported from NFL.com to dispute your notion that Graham is undersized and to look at the stats to compare the two during the rookie season.
And lastly – as mentioned many, many times before – 3 years to evaluate a draft pick – three year! Babin was a huge bust in the first part of his career – look at him now – Reggie Brown had better numbers then Reggie Wayne his first two years in the league – undersized
ridiculous draft analysis – yeah – they basically selected a guy from a perennial college powerhouse that has basically been an all american since he was about 16 years old………. lead Div I in tackles for loss. yeah – crazy why select a guy in college with a proven ability to make plays behind the LOS – what were they thinking –
and hey – while you are cracking me up – guess who did more bench press reps at the combine – not your big strong Pierre paul – he did 19 – graham did 31 – maybe you should rethink your evaluatuion skills…………….. at the pre-draft combine GRaham was 268 – Pierre-paul was 270…….. same speed –
Graham was a hell of a lot stronger and made way more plays in college –
bench press reps at the combine, wow, that’s some good support for graham, mamula put up big numbers at the combine, navy you are one funny clown, try something else in life except draining taxpayers hard earned dollars and wasting our time on gcobb with your company line, bereft of an original thought In your mindless existence, get a life, try some religion
I say we unload Reid to get down to the mandatory roster. Okay, get rid of Page and throw Reid in for good measure.
J Pierre Paul started like 6 games at Division I level.. and was a gamble for anyone who Drafted him in the Top 20.. TYhe GIants have a strong DL already and didn’t need him to start or contribute his rookie season to allow him to learn,get bigger and stronger and get better at his technique whicgh is exactly what he’s done.. but comign out of COllege, there were many questions about his maturity,his health and his overall readiness at NFL level.. Many other teams passed on him as well and credit the Giants and JPP for working hard to be a good NFL Player.. ..
Jakey chu – the little mousketeer – do you ever pay attention you little asshat – did you (for that matter can you?) read the post from Rastadoc – Read it you little stain – He wrote and I quote – The giants big, strong DE Pierre-Paul was siting right there – another typically stupid, not factually supported, statement so common on these posts.
Graham at that moment (that would be at the end of the draft combine) was 2 pounds lighter (he is now 8) and did 12 more reps on the bench – did you pass grammer school or are just illiterate – if you are going to jump into conversations and offer your typical worthless opinion at least read the conversations you stupid shit – the conversation was a comparison between the Giants 1st round pick and the Eagles 1st round pick – do you get that, is that too hard for you to understand? Even for the typical GCOBB shuffle crowd that’s a hell of a stretch – offering a comparison from a guy from 1995 – wow – even I had given you a little more credit then that – lets compare X and Y – well hell how about to Z from 15 years ago – and something else you retard – Mamula drastically improved his draft stock at the combine – he was not an all american – Graham was an All American who prior to the combine and was listed PRIOR to his senior season as the #25 player in all of college football – so in just about every human way possible you again demonstrate your ignorance:
25. Brandon Graham, DE Michigan
Preseason Skinny: An end in any system, the 275-pounder (my addition – again, where di this ‘small DE come from?) can get into the backfield
so your comparison of Graham and the combine with Mamula and the combine is absurd – but then again – that fits your profile
So Jakey chu – what did you do to embarrass your family this weekend – I read about the guy riding around to fast food resturants ordering with no pants on – that you, still trying to get a girl to look at your little willy? I heard the ladies busted out laughing at you!
And Jakey chu – just knowing that living is giving my an annuity and it drives you crazy makes me happy – the first of the month coming up – double cha-ching (your brother inform you what concurrent rcpt and doubling dipping are?) to quote Dcar – BWAHHHHHHHHBWHHHH – FOR LIFE BABY!
but serious question, how can me telling the world to wait until the 3rd season to evaluate a draft pick be seen in any way as ‘showing support’ oh never mind – I realize logic is out the window – eat shit and die you little toad!
Graham is ass!
To be fair here are a few DE Height and weights to consider when we argue about the size of our DE’s.
Cowboys Eagles Giants Redskins Steelers Ravens Packers
6-5-306 6-4-267 6-5-278 6-5-306 6-4-300 6-7-245 6-4-304
6-7-320 6-3-267 6-4-266 6-6-315 6-5-295 6-2-255 6-3-294
6-6-302 6-3-270 6-5-268 6-4-309 6-5-288 6-3-280 6-2-340
6-4-306 6-2-268 6-3-285 6-3-310 6-3-300 6-3-290
6-4-315 6-0-248 6-5-285 6-3-285
6-2-250 6-5-298
6-1-270
So my view goes neither way, just some random defenses who are pretty good. In the end it is what it is.
As always “LONG LIVE THE EAGLES” no matter who big they are.
The site mashed my columns together but you guys get the idea, even if the columns are off you can still see the height and weight references.
Drummer,
I agree wholeheartedly Bro.
HEY “NUTSACK” Navy, its spelled GRAMMAR SCHOOL NOT “GRAMMER” SCHOOL. It’s one thing to be old, but an old “dummy bum” takes the cake. Know what you’re talking about before trying to correct others you bum. No wonder why she left you, and you were kicked out the service you old buzzard. Get a life old man.
Snookie – how ya doin douche – ya, no spell check – wow – ya got me – thanks for yet again executing the famous G Cobb shuffle – I have a six paragraph post where lil Jakey chu can’t understand the difference between comparing two first round draft picks, or how the combine affected two 1st round draft picks careers and you come in with a ‘you misspelled grammar’ that’s it? Wow – gee – you found a misspelling – maybe we should have a spelling bee? Is that what you are good at – are you that idiot savant that pees all over himself but can spell – wow – now that snookie is on the case we got the spell check police – but snook ums – other then my spelling mistake – notice how the actual ‘football’ facts are straight –
Monolith – that’s good stuff – no worries on the columns – I get your point – I wish you had the names to go with the sizes – like 6’8 330 sounds great – 6 8 330 Dunlap – I don’t know if that is striking fear in the hearts of many – also wish I had memorized which of those were 3-4 (I think the Steelers Cowboys and Ravnes)look snookie – another spelling error for you!)) verse 4-3 ( Eagles, Giants, Redskins) Pman – what do the packers run?
So after looking at the data Mono – would Graham be considered ‘ undersized”
Songs is ass – and Graham probably makes 100X your salary, was a multiple all american in high school and college, and still plays pro football – I guess that makes you ‘mega’ ass – still waiting on that ‘football pedigree’ silky – I put mine out there but got accused of ‘bragging’
DON’T WORRY Father Andrew has it under control.Graham is under sized and will get hurt again. That Fat Slob REID must have blackmail pictures on this owner. Money wasted because this Fat Slob will not change. How about bigger, stronger, faster, instead of smaller, faster , quicker athletic. Has it worked yet?
Lurie needs to cut the fairy crap and fire REID and send him to weight watchers.
DON’T WORRY Father Andrew has it under control.Graham is under sized and will get hurt again. That Fat Slob REID must have blackmail pictures on this owner. Money wasted because this Fat Slob will not change. How about bigger, stronger, faster, instead of smaller, faster , quicker athletic. Has it worked yet?
Lurie needs to cut the fairy crap and fire REID and send him to weight watchers.
What I liked about this week’s Eagles game…
Andy Reid’s playcalling. It was balanced for the first time in a long time.
No so much…
Andy Reid was not fired.
Drummer – LOL
i dont understand the hate for graham. The guy got hurt…. i think he may play well for the eagles with Washburns system. Guys- im also frustraded with some of the draft picks on D and i hope it changes soon…. but Graham may be good for us. He has the speed and size that washburn likes.
Stevo – the only thing to understand is that for many fans, the credo is ‘hate, until proven otherwise’.
Graham – Watkins, Allen, Matthews, Coleman, Dunlap, Harbor, Cooper, Kelce – it doesn’t matter Stevo – hell Samuel and Peters often take shit and they are pro bowlers – This is GCobb.com man – home of the bitch about everything or else crowd. Facts, statistics – anything quanitfiable or objective is dismissed or ‘GCOBB shuffled’ away to allow the subjective (waste, ass, ridiculous draft evaluation) evaluation…… size and speed – that’s crazy talk – he is undersized like Babin and Cole!
Babins not undersized.
Cole and Peters back this week.Good stuff.Nmandi looking more comfy in his roll.Press,box reciever and make a play.
Like the Birds d gainst the Dallas o-line. Not impressed with there front on o. Defense for Dallas, is all about protecting like we did in the Skins game.
Erock – exactly – some guy early in one of the posts wrote that Graham was ‘undersized’ and the eagles should have drafted a bigger stronger guy (the guy the Gman got) I pointed out the guy the giants got was 2 pounds heavier and Graham actually outrepped him 19 to 31 in the bench press at the combine – and then did some comparing to other DE’s including Cole and Babin – so bottom line, think you for agreeing with me – that our DEs are not undersized – as I think Babin is the lightest of the Cole Graham Tapp group and J Parker I think is the lightest DE we have (I am missing the CFL guy…)
My $$$ is on Page. He is a useless, steaming pile, of crap! Andy like’s his DE rotation, so Parker ain’t going nowhere. Graham isn’t going to be able to contribute much anyway, right away. That better not rush this dude back. If he get’s hurt again, it could be career threatening.
This should not have been an article in the first place.
Who the hell is Jarrad Page anyway?
He was garbage every place he’s played. Right now him or Graham should not be on this team…Earl Thomas should have been the pick from the beginning.
We let Babin walk the same year we drafted Graham.
Look how Babin is playing right now …so you all know Graham is not going to start over him.
Another first rounder we traded up for that will amount to a rotational player at best.
For the Record,
Eagles Safety Jarrod PAges still leads the Team in Solo Tackles with 27 and is tied with LB Jamar Chaney in Total Tackles with 36 .. What does this tell us about this Eagle Defense with 6 recent All_Pros on it…