Getty Brandon Graham sees a breakout year for former first-round pick Derek Barnett.
It hasn’t gone exactly the way that Derek Barnett had hoped it would over his first five NFL seasons. Aside from that timely fumble recovery in Super Bowl LII, it’s been a struggle to meet expectations. The first-round pick is trying hard to shed the bust label.
Barnett signed a two-year deal worth $14 million to return to the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s essentially a “prove-it contract” that allows the Eagles to move on after the first year if things don’t work out. But Barnett is determined to stick around Philly for the duration. He’s out to show everyone that he was worth the investment of being the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
“I can see that chip on his shoulder, even more than usual, just working on the details,” Brandon Graham told reporters on June 3. “I feel like it just hasn’t happened for him yet like he wanted to but I think this year he’s going to really have a big year because he’s already just out there running around.
“He’s doing a lot of good stuff. Every day in film coach is always talking about what a good job he’s doing. And he’s just trying to prove to everybody that the Eagles drafted him for a reason and that reason is going to show up this year.”
How do you stop a pass-rushing rotation of Reddick, Cox, Hargrave, Sweat, Brandon Graham, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis and Derek Barnett.
The second-unit could start for some teams.
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Graham Buries the Hatchet with Jim Washburn
Former Eagles defensive line coach Jim Washburn has been a strong voice in Barnett’s ear. He travels down to Tennessee to work out with the 72-year-old coach. Sometimes Graham makes the trip with him, an interesting side note considering the feud between those two guys. They hated each other.
Eagles’ Derek Barnett working out with former DL coach Jim Washburn: ‘He wants to prove he was worth that pick’ t.co/Vaf2AlzZVB
Now Washburn’s son, Jeremiah, is coaching up the edge rushers in Philadelphia. Awkward? Not a chance. Graham has nothing but love for the Washburn family.
“We buried all that. I was just young and immature at the time and he was tough,” Graham said. “And that’s why it wasn’t as nice for me because he was tough. It was a tough time when he was here for me coming off a knee injury. People not believing in me in the city, thinking I was a bust, and all this stuff.
“And even myself, thinking I was [a bust] at the time because, what had I done at that point? But we talked about it, got over it. I’m happy for the place that we are in. No animosity.”
Young Players Don’t Know How Lucky They Are
Graham came into the NFL in a different era. Two-a-days were still the norm and former coach Andy Reid ran his players into the ground, highlighted by three-hour practices in full pads under the sweltering sun up at Lehigh University.
Those days are over under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Players are barely allowed to touch each other, let alone hit each other at training camp. Head coach Nick Sirianni is uber conscious of health and safety.
“I tell these boys y’all don’t know what a training camp really is,” Graham said. “Old school training camps where we were running two, three-hour practices for training camp and then OTAs used to be let’s get as many plays in as we can so we can play at a fast pace.”
Brandon Graham’s reaction to seeing Nick Sirianni wearing his t-shirt is priceless!
As far as Graham’s torn Achilles, the 34-year-old is back to 100% health. He has been working in a variety of different positions at OTAs, from edge rusher to linebacker. He’s ready to add to his 59 career sacks.
“I worked a little outside backer today,” Graham said after Friday’s practice. “It’s cool, man, just learning it from a different scale. I’m doing drop in, I’m doing the 4i technique, I’m doing a bunch of different things, just trying to get better as a player and for myself.”
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