Brandon Graham

The Eagles activated defensive end Brandon Graham off the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list on Saturday and released guard Kyle DeVan to make room on their 53-man roster. The team had until Monday at 4:30 p.m. to make a decision on whether to active Graham before Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears. It appeared as if they would use all of their allotted time because of defensive end Juqua Parker's uncertain game-day status. Parker missed his second straight practice Saturday because of a high-ankle sprain and was listed as "doubtful" on the official injury report.

When he arrived here in 2010, Brandon Graham was all smiles, a cheery defensive end who promised to put quarterbacks in the dirt. Drafted 13th overall, Graham embraced the spotlight, the media and all the trappings that come with being a first-round pick. Two years later, Graham is most familiar with the flip side of being a top selection: pressure, scrutiny, high expectations and harsh criticism for falling short. Those realities all tail him as he enters a critical third season in the NFL, still trying to make his mark with the Eagles.

1. Domonic Brown of the Phillies 2. Evan Turner of the 76ers 3. Brandon Graham of the Eagles

Brandon Graham Size: 6-foot-1, 268 pounds College: Michigan Position: DE Hometown: Detroit Crockett Technical How he fits: Although he could be moved to outside linebacker, coach Andy Reid said he expects him to play left end, opposite Trent Cole. College career: He was the first defensive player in school history voted the Bo Schembechler most valuable player two times (2008, 2009). . . . He was on the 2009 all-Big Ten first team as voted by coaches and media and was the team captain.

The Eagles on Wednesday signed defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, their third-round draft pick. He was chosen 86th overall out of Washington and signed a four-year contract. Te'o-Nesheim finished his college career with 30 sacks, a Washington record. He is part of a remade defensive- end grouping that includes Pro Bowler Trent Cole, Juqua Parker, first-round pick Brandon Graham, and Darryl Tapp, acquired in an off-season trade with Seattle. Coach Andy Reid has praised Te'o-Nesheim's intelligence and flexibility.

We don't want to say that former Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham, the Eagles' first-round pick in 2010, was gloating yesterday after the resignation of Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. But clearly the rivalry will change without "The Vest" walking the Buckeyes' sideline. Tressel was 9-1 against Michigan with the only loss coming in 2003, by 35-21 in Ann Arbor. That was the last year that Michigan won an outright Big Ten title. Graham grew up in Detroit and played for the Wolverines, so his Big Blue ties run deep.

The Trevor Laws Eagles era ended last week without fanfare. At this point it has become commonplace: another high draft pick expended on a defensive lineman, another come and gone without making even a dent in the starting lineup. The Eagles' dubious history with drafting on defense has been well-documented, especially on the line, where Andy Reid has invested so many of his top selections over the last decade. Despite those missteps - or perhaps because of them - the Eagles are again poised to take a defensive lineman in the early stages of this year's draft.

The Eagles did not activate defensive end Brandon Graham on Saturday, so he won't play against the Dallas Cowboys. The team had until 4 p.m. if it wanted to put Graham on the 53-man roster and make him eligible for Sunday's game. Graham remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list. This week, he went through his first practices with the team this season but still needs to work to get into football shape. The Eagles have two more weeks to evaluate Graham and decide whether to activate him or put him on injured reserve.

Trent Cole, an outdoors enthusiast who owns a company that makes hunting videos and drives a jacked-up truck painted to look like camouflage-colored leaves, is after large quantities of game this season. "I'm hunting for 23 sacks," Cole said recently, enough to break the NFL record of 221/2 that is held by former Giant Michael Strahan. It's a lofty goal, even for a two-time Pro Bowler. He would have to nearly double last season's 121/2 sack output. The arrival of speedy first-round draft pick Brandon Graham could have a mixed impact on Cole's ambitions.

If the question was why would Andy Reid uncharacteristically proclaim that an injured Brandon Graham would not return by the season opener, then the answer is microfracture knee surgery. The Eagles defensive end underwent the procedure on his right knee nine days after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against the Cowboys on Dec. 12, although the operation was not known about at the time. Graham and multiple sources confirmed the report, first made by AnnArbor.com, on Wednesday.

When he arrived here in 2010, Brandon Graham was all smiles, a cheery defensive end who promised to put quarterbacks in the dirt. Drafted 13th overall, Graham embraced the spotlight, the media and all the trappings that come with being a first-round pick. Two years later, Graham is most familiar with the flip side of being a top selection: pressure, scrutiny, high expectations and harsh criticism for falling short. Those realities all tail him as he enters a critical third season in the NFL, still trying to make his mark with the Eagles.

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks signed a four-year contract Monday, becoming the first Eagles draft pick in the fold this year. The remaining eight could have deals in time for the start of minicamp on Saturday, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. "I don't think it's going to be a long process with most of the players," Roseman said. "I think the players want to get it done. They know that there isn't any incentive to waiting in terms of getting a different deal. " The new collective-bargaining agreement, which established a strict rookie wage scale, has essentially eliminated the need for negotiations.

The Eagles seem content to give youth a chance at safety, at least for now. "We're excited about our group of safeties," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said Monday. "I don't think we need someone with more experience. We feel very comfortable with our group. " Roseman similarly said he feels good about the team's young running backs behind starter LeSean McCoy. His comments came during a wide-ranging meeting with reporters that also touched on his thoughts on drafting quarterback Nick Foles, defensive end Brandon Graham's progress and a few nervous moments during the draft.

If you already have a strong pass rush, do you really need more? For an easy answer to that question, all the Eagles have to do is turn their gaze to New Jersey, where the Giants have used a succession of star defensive ends - from Michael Strahan to Justin Tuck to Jason Pierre-Paul - to take home two championships in five years, roughing up Tom Brady both times with the help of a deep front four. So, no, a 4-3 defense can never have enough horsepower up front, which is one reason the Eagles could add another early pick there when the NFL draft opens Thursday.

If you already have a strong pass rush, do you really need more? For an easy answer to that question, all the Eagles have to do is turn their gaze to New Jersey, where the Giants have used a succession of star defensive ends - from Michael Strahan to Justin Tuck to Jason Pierre-Paul - to take home two championships in five years, roughing up Tom Brady both times with the help of a deep front four. So, no, a 4-3 defense can never have enough horsepower up front, which is one reason the Eagles could add another early pick there when the NFL draft opens Thursday.

Howie Roseman can look at the last two NFL drafts - his two drafts as general manager of the Eagles - and see the same things as everyone else. Among the 24 players taken in 2010 and 2011, there were a few nice hits, some spectacular misses, and a general sense that the Eagles got players who were good enough for now, but perhaps not great enough for the long-term. Perhaps down the line, as Roseman suggested during a predraft press briefing on Thursday, defensive end Brandon Graham, the first-round pick in 2010, will rebound and become a star player, and guard Danny Watkins, the 2011 first-round pick, will do more than just fill space on the offensive line until someone better comes along.

The Trevor Laws Eagles era ended last week without fanfare. At this point it has become commonplace: another high draft pick expended on a defensive lineman, another come and gone without making even a dent in the starting lineup. The Eagles' dubious history with drafting on defense has been well-documented, especially on the line, where Andy Reid has invested so many of his top selections over the last decade. Despite those missteps - or perhaps because of them - the Eagles are again poised to take a defensive lineman in the early stages of this year's draft.

YES, LUKE KUECHLY knows a lot of mock drafts have him going to the Eagles in a couple of months, as the 15th overall selection, when the NFL convenes to divide up college talent. "People have mentioned it," Kuechly said the other day. "I have no control over where I end up. " As a Boston College junior who grew up in Cincinnati following the Bengals, Kuechly can't say he knows an awful lot about the Eagles' defense, but he said he'd be happy to come here, of course - the first thing agents teach prospective draftees is to tell reporters that each of the 32 NFL cities is a wonderful place where the draftee would feel privileged to begin his pro career.

INDIANAPOLIS - Not to keep beating a dead horse, but hell, let's. Long story short, 2 years ago, the Eagles traded up to the 13th spot in the first round of the draft. Wanted a defensive end. Had a choice between the freakishly-athletic-but-relatively-inexperienced Jason Pierre-Paul of South Florida, and steady-Eddie-productive Brandon Graham of Michigan. The Eagles opted for Graham. Their division rival, the Giants, who they hopped over to grab Graham, happily took Pierre-Paul.

MOBILE, Ala. - Howie Roseman has a problem. His two drafts, while not complete busts and still not near final judgment time, have yet to deliver what would commonly be referred to as an impact player. Roseman, who has increasingly become a lightning rod for fan discontent, enters his third season as Eagles general manager with a resumé that highlights some of his successes in the latter rounds, but buries his less-than-impressive selections in the early rounds. Of the 12 players the Eagles have chosen in the first four rounds of the last two drafts, 10 have started a total of 76 games if you include Alex Henery's 16 starts at kicker.