The low point?
Brandon Graham doesn’t have to think very long to come up with an answer.
“The low point was when Wash was here,” Graham said. “That was my low point.”
Wash is Jim Washburn, the Eagles’ defensive line coach in 2011 and part of 2012, until he was fired mid-season by Andy Reid.
“Because Wash would make you feel bad, boy,” Graham said. “Like you can’t play at all.”
Graham is rejuvenated these days.
He’s heading into his third season as a 3-4 linebacker, he’s got a big new contract with the security it brings and he’s a projected starter for the first time in his six NFL seasons.
And Washburn is far, far away, now coaching with the Lions.
Back in 2012, Washburn barely played Graham in his gadget Wide 9 front. But as soon Washburn's pet project, Jason Babin, was released and a few days later Washburn was fired, Graham’s playing time increased exponentially.
“They just cut Babin and then, bam, I’m in there,” Graham said.
He finished the season with four sacks in the last five games after recording 1½ in the first 11.
For the first time since the Eagles drafted him with the 13th pick in 2010, Graham looked like a player.
“I think once they broke him up and they finally gave me the opportunity, I was finally in a better mood of going out there and doing what I could,” he said.
Graham talks a lot about the low points because there have been so many. And because fighting through them brought him to where he is now.
“I’m excited, man,” he said after OTA practice Monday at the NovaCare Complex. “I’ve been through a lot but I fought through it.
“My biggest thing was don’t break. I was almost at that breaking point where it was just like, ‘Man, stuff is not going right.’ But I think what happened is when Wash left and then I took off for a minute, that kind of gave me hope that I could play in this league.
“Because you start to doubt yourself a little bit because the coach is on you 24/7, and you know, it was tough. But I’m just happy that everything’s looking up right now.”
When the Eagles released Trent Cole and signed Graham to a four-year, $26 million deal with $14 million guaranteed, it made Graham the starter at outside linebacker.
The transformation from unwanted to big-money starter was complete.
With DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso inside and Connor Barwin and Graham outside, this is potentially the Eagles’ strongest linebacker group since early in the Andy Reid era.
And for Graham, it means for the first time in his career, he gets to actually be on the field when the game begins.
“My energy is always crazy at the beginning of the game,” he said. “You have so much energy, and to have to sit on the bench for that little bit and wait for your opportunity? Now I get to go right when it starts, and that’s what I’m excited about.”
Graham, an under-sized defensive end in his first three NFL seasons, reported this spring at 260 pounds, down a little bit from last year.
“Feeling good, moving around nice, and all I can say is watch and see when it’s time,” he said.
“I played last year at 265, 270. This year, I’m trying to play 260, 265. Be able to run around more. With me playing more snaps, gotta make sure I keep my weight down.”
Graham matched his career high with 5½ sacks off the bench last year. The Eagles expect the same sort of jump from him this year that defensive end Vinny Curry made last year.
Curry had four sacks his first two seasons and nine last year.
“I’m just excited,” Graham said. “Hoo-hoo, it’s going to be a good year. That’s all I’m going to say.”