During the surgery to repair Graham's ACL it was decided that microfracture surgery, considered by some to be a more serious procedure, was necessary. The operation involves the drilling of small holes in the bone in an attempt to stimulate cartilage growth.
Reid had said as far back as March that it would be "a real stretch" for Graham to be back by the opener. Last month during a Web chat with The Inquirer Reid was asked again if Graham would be back by the start of the season.
"Probably not," he responded.
The team had no comment Wednesday.
Based on the recovery time for other NFL players who underwent the surgery, Graham could potentially miss much more than just the opener. He also has the ACL tear, which typically takes six to eight months of recovery time, to deal with.
Defensive end Victor Abiamiri had microfracture knee surgery in February 2010 and missed all of last season. Abiamiri, a 2008 second-round draft pick, recently said that he was fully recovered and would be ready for the coming season.
Graham told reporters last week in Ann Arbor, while participating in a golf outing, that he was 80 percent recovered. He has spent most of the offseason rehabbing in Southern California. Despite the NFL lockout, the Eagles have been permitted to receive updates on his recovery.
Even with Graham's condition, the Eagles did not select a defensive end in the draft. They still have free agency, however, to address the need.
Trent Cole and Juqua Parker started most of last season, and both are slated to return next season, as are reserves Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, and Ricky Sapp. The Eagles also added Canadian Football League product Phillip Hunt in the offseason.
In his rookie season, Graham recorded three sacks and 19 tackles in 13 games before he was lost for the rest of the season.
Contact staff writer Jeff McLane
at 215-854-4745, jmclane@phillynews.com
or @Jeff_McLane on Twitter.
