Last year's first-round pick officially rejoined the Eagles' 53-man roster on Saturday, after starting the season on the Physcially Unable to Perform list. And with Juqua Parker listed as doubtful for Monday night's game against the Bears, there's a good chance Brandon Graham could see his first game action since tearing his ACL last December.
Graham's status for the 2011 season was up in the air over the summer after it was revealed his injury required microfracture surgery, which can come with a lengthy rehab and unpredictable success rate. The Michigan product has been practicing with the team since they returned to work after the bye though, and he claims the knee is fine.
“My knee is good," he said. "It’s more so my lungs, just getting my wind right. Being able to go all four quarters, 100 percent.”
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It's good to hear Graham is making progress. He was having a promising rookie season before the injury, and the front office made a large investment in the defensive end, trading up 11 spots to select him. We won't get our hopes too high on Graham making a huge impact this season -- especially with Trent Cole and Jason Babin off to tremendous starts -- but we'll be watching closely for flashes of what he could become once he gets back in the flow.
Meanwhile, to make room for Graham the Eagles released Kyle DeVan, who started the season at right guard. DeVan was brought in solely as a buffer until this year's first rounder Danny Watkins was ready to play. Watkins re-entered the starting lineup a few weeks ago against the Bills, and he's been improving. The coaches obviously felt comfortable enough with the rookie's development that they could part with his potential replacement.