Eagles rookie Graham gets nod at DE

Brandon Graham's goal is to record two sacks a game this season.

The Eagles' defensive end took a small step toward that lofty objective when he was promoted to the first team this week.

Graham always was expected to split snaps at left end with Juqua Parker, but the fact that the rookie leapfrogged the 32-year-old veteran and became a starter this early - a rarity in the Andy Reid era - suggests two things:

The Eagles' top draft pick is just too good to not be out there first.

Parker, at one point this off-season the only position player over 30, is the latest casualty in the Eagles' youth movement.

"I was like, 'Dang, I just went over him,' " Graham said. "I know he's getting older, but at the same time the coaches see a lot in me and for them to give it to me it's like, 'Now what are you going to do with it?' "

In his second preseason game Friday at Cincinnati, Graham recorded three tackles, a sack, and another tackle for loss. He had been playing defensive tackle with the first-team nickel defense, and will continue to do so, he said. But Graham's ascension to starting with the base defense has a certain cache.

He's not yet there, however. There are still two preseason games to be played.

"He's a young talented player, but we're still looking at all the combinations," defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said. "He's had a good preseason to this point, but all of us have a lot of work to do."

Parker will likely see as many snaps as a backup in the Eagles' defensive end rotation. He didn't seem too upset about the demotion when he interrupted an interview Graham was having with a reporter at his locker by resting his head on the rookie's shoulder. Parker missed practice Tuesday with an ankle sprain and was unavailable for comment after practice.

"He has a huge role on this defense," McDermott said. "JP's played good football up to this point. Like I mentioned early in camp, he set a career high in sacks [eight] last year."

The 22-year-old Graham wants to quadruple that number. Told that two sacks a game would compute to 32 and would thus eclipse the NFL record by nearly 10, Graham said, "That's the goal. That's the main goal for me . . . to get that record."

New York Giant Michael Strahan set the league mark of 22.5 sacks in 2001. A more realistic goal might be the rookie record of 14.5 set by former Eagles end Jevon Kearse when he was with Tennessee in 1999.

Graham added that he also wants to tally somewhere between 80 and 100 tackles, "because that's a lot for a D-lineman."

The only time an Eagles rookie defensive lineman started in Week 1 under Reid was in 2000 when Corey Simon opened the season at right defensive tackle. When Macho Harris opened last season as the starter at free safety, he became just the second defensive rookie to start in the first game.

But that number will likely be doubled with rookie Nate Allen holding down the starting free-safety spot and Graham now first on the depth chart. The last time the Eagles had two rookies starting in Week 1 was in 1999 – Reid's first season as head coach – when Doug Brzezinski and John Welbourn started at left guard and right tackle.

"It doesn't happen often, especially not on this team," safety Quintin Mikell said. "Maybe on some other team it happens quicker. Here we haven't had that a lot. I guess that proves the guys they brought in are that good."

Aside from Simon, Harris, Brzezinski and Welbourn, the other two rookies to start in the season opener were right guard Shawn Andrews (2004) and wide receiver DeSean Jackson (2008).

While McDermott was reluctant to award Graham the starting job just yet - but who are we kidding? - Graham's counterpart at right end, Trent Cole, was already envisioning a potent 1-2 punch.

"I see greatness," the Pro Bowler said. "I see us having a great time this season, flying around the ball, making plays, sacks, celebrating after sacks. I see it all. I can picture it right now."