Jim Washburn put the depth chart up this morning, and it showed “Graham” as one of the starting defensive ends. Granted, it took injuries to both Jason Babin and now Trent Cole to get there, but he’ll take it.
“It feels good because I’ve been working, man,” said Brandon Graham. “That’s the goal – to get the Number One spot. Jason Babin and those guys did a lot last year, but there is competition every year and everybody deserves a chance for that Number One. And hopefully I can push myself up there.”
Graham had already been working intermittingly with the starting defense, rotating in the left defensive end spot with Cullen Jenkins since Babin went out with a calf strain. Now it looks like Graham will get a regular spot opposite the combination of Jenkins and Darryl Tapp until the starters return. Babin is expected to miss two-to-three weeks, and Cole is day-to-day with swelling in his A.C. joint.
With the first preseason game against the Steelers coming up in just about a week, it appears that Graham will be running with the first team.
“That’s going to be the first time for me to show them what I’m going to do in the games, and that’s how I’m taking it,” said Graham. “That’s my first step to where I want to be, and hopefully it goes exactly how I envision it to go.”
Graham intimated that he needs more work on stopping the run that pass rush, a sentiment Juan Castillo backed up a couple days ago. Otherwise he appears confident about the state of his game.
“I’m really excited to go out there and show what I can do,” said Graham, “even though I already know what I can do. I just can’t wait to go out there and compete.”
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