The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN IN THE PROS BY CHRIS BALAS I njuries derailed former Michigan defensive lineman and Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Brandon Gra- ham in the first few years of his career, and some wondered whether he'd ever reach his vast potential. The answer is a resounding "yes" in the form of a four-year, $26 million contract ($14 million guaranteed) that will keep him in Philadelphia at out- side linebacker. Graham led all NFL defenders last season (17.32 rating) in Pro Football Focus' Pass Rushing Productivity for- mula that factors in sacks, hits and hurries relative to pass rushing at- tempts. Over the past three seasons, he is reportedly Pro Football Focus' highest rated edge defender per 100 snaps, solid against the run, a very good pass rusher and someone who forces fumbles. Graham admitted in a press confer- ence he nearly signed with the New York Giants. "It was like, 'Let's get this deal done here,'" Graham told reporters. "I felt like it was going to happen. I wanted to test free agency, but just to see my worth; just to make sure I wasn't missing out on anything. But, at the end of the day, I felt like this is where I need to be. "It was two teams that were trying to get me … the Giants were one of them, the Titans and the Eagles, obvi- ously. My eyes were on the Eagles, but the Titans stopped once they saw that I was just waiting on the Eagles and [the Eagles] came through." Linebacker Trent Cole's departure also played a big role. Graham had wanted to play outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense, but wouldn't have been able to had Cole not signed with the Indianapolis Colts. "That was my biggest thing," Gra- ham said. "I just wanted to get here. Just get me here with an opportunity to go out there and do just like I did in my rookie year. Give me the opportu- nity to show that I can be the starter for this organization and be pretty good at it, too. "[Cole's departure] helped out in the decision. I love Trent to death, and we still talk every day. I understood when Trent was here — he's a great player. He's been here longer than me. They love him. But as soon as he wasn't here, I knew that was my opportunity, and [Eagles head coach Chip Kelly] showed me that he was going to give me that opportunity." Graham played in 16 games with- out making a start in 2013, notching only three sacks. In 2014, Graham played in just 43 percent of Eagles de- fensive plays but matched his career- high with 5.5 sacks. He also recorded 13.5 tackles for loss, 18 hurries and four forced fumbles. RAMS RELEASE JAKE LONG The St. Louis Rams have released former Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, but there's still a chance the MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Brandon Graham Gets His Big Contract