Eagles Press Conference: Brandon Graham, Mekhi Becton, and More | September 1, 2024

Brandon Graham you know it's it's it's crazy the first game of the season my first year 2010 kelly green um we had throwback and then that's my first year playing against Aaron Rogers Packers and not my last year first game and we going somewhere I never been before uh first game and 15 years later I'm playing the Packers again on my way out so hopefully uh it don't end the way it did the first first game of of my 2010 year but I think um you know I'm excited uh cuz I I know this team we've been working our camp we can't wait to go out and show what we've been doing you've done 15 of these do you have a favorite opener since you've done so many of them favorite opener no nobody asked me that let me let me come back to you on now let me think about it collection of rushers you guys have this year I feel good I feel good where we at I I really do um the biggest thing is all of us staying healthy making sure that um we rushing together I like uh J JD and JC what they about to bring uh because you know you could see the focus uh with the D line we know everybody got everybody going to have something to say but it's what we what we doing right now it don't matter what people saying what we put out on the Sunday is all that matter and so I'm trying to make sure today uh be the best work that we could do so that we can go into the game confident more of an emphasis on group Rush this year oh yeah oh yeah it's always it's always group Rush because uh guys can win their one-on ones but if a a guy is not in his right place for the quarterback to trap him uh he can escape um The Rush pretty much is for nothing cuz I mean you you seen it where people let the quarterback loose and get get out the pocket and that's where they make big plays especially a guy like Mahomes and I mean Jordan love he uh he he can he can make some people Miss back there and uh you know throw some dimes so we got to make sure that we uh just contain him and I think we doing a good job of uh doing that and rushing together those reps you've gotten dropping in coverage is that starting to feel a little bit more natural for you yeah yeah it's comfortable it's comfortable man you know you just got to know certain stuff pre- snap and just trust yourself at the end of the day I feel like for me I'm just happy that um just body is feeling good able to go out there for practice and you know bring the energy and just have some fun make some plays and I think um yeah we all trying to that's why we go as hard as we go in practice cuz you're trying to be comfortable in the game and I I just can't wait to get that game rep and that game you know uh adrenaline cuz uh we haven't had that so that's going to be in that first couple drives and then once everything kind of settled um we know why we there we know why we are there with the responsibility that you and SL have as captains name recently over the season how do you how do you approach what do you think that role means for 2024 how yall trying to manage that well just making sure we we addressing addressing the the obvious and always remembering what's the goal for this year trying to go we we trying to win it all what we trying to do you know when things are a question uh when people start doing little stuff I mean just addressing stuff man cuz uh we all professionals everybody uh the younger guys they learning from us and so for us if we can communicate and stay on the same page even through all that adversity we going to go through I think we put oursel in a good position uh to to make a run PJ you talked a lot this summer about you know everything's being the last time doing this the last time this is your last opener what what do you think the emotions will feel like uh just it's going to be me smiling as always uh time is flying as you know we here already uh but I think that for me it's just more about just breathing it all in remembering the views remembering the conversations from this last year uh that you that just happened naturally uh and yeah man be the best me I can be and then when we hopefully holding that trophy at the end I can always reminisce uh and think about you know every little detail of it when I'm saying my speech but uh right now just enjoying the moments man has it hit you yet that this is the start of your last regular season uh no not really not yet not yet everything that that comes with it it's Mekhi Becton been great I mean i' been I've been having fun since the day I walked in here so it's you know it's just it's finally good to not have to game game plan against who we've been going against every day so it's just it's finally fun you know game plan against other teams and figure out what we going to do that week they have a pretty good line what do you see from them uh this it's a lot of things we got to key in on they they're their their defense is based on their line so we have to we have to dominate the front to win the game we've talked about like the differences between tackle and guard in a general sense but when it comes to game planning like how much more difficult is that uh it's I mean it's still it's still the same same amount of time that I'm putting in if I was playing tackle like I have still have to worry about who I'm blocking every place so I mean there's no it's not really no difference in game planning and figure out what I need to do that week what's the sense of accomplishment for you if you think about when you signed you didn't quite know what your role would be you start a camp you know if you'd be here at the end starting what's the sense of of accomplishment being in this position uh I mean I don't I what position what are you talking about like I I guess working your way to be a starter oh I mean I mean it's cool I mean I I know like I told you before like I got to stay ready so so I have to get ready so I mean it's it's just something I've always been ready for so it's just just staying ready so that's that's pretty much it what been the biggest adjustment moving inside from the outside it's just a lot faster than than tackle like they don't have enough time they don't have the same amount of time to pick up what they want to do it just happens a lot faster at guard do you enjoy the uh you have a little extra responsibility in the silent count is that anything to to get used to how's that uh I mean it's I mean I've been practicing our camp so I mean it's it's just it's just starting just just repetition something I got to keep doing is there some we always talk about how quick it is inside versus outside but is there any positives to your size and strength inside when I feel like my my my arms they're they're not used to people with my arms so um I feel like that's that's that's one of the main things there's a lot of few things but that's one of the main things what are your thoughts about going to Brazil long way to go for a game all right that's that's what they want us to play that's what we got to play I'm just going to win a football game what's the biggest thing you I'm sorry the biggest thing you think you did to earn this SP I came in and worked every day I got better every day I I really don't know where you getting your your sources from I don't yeah okay so yeah I I I just came in and worked every day I don't know what sources you got but yeah I just came in and worked every day what are you most proud of in the work that you did this summer uh most proud of I feel like I'm most proud of just me having fun again like I'm starting to have fun again like I'm having a smile on my face every day so I feel like that's what I'm most proud about I've dug my dug myself out of that dark hole that I was in previous years so I feel like that's that's what I'm most proud of what did it take to get there the people around me the support staff that we got with these coaches and the teammates that I have so I feel like those are the things that help me out a lot uh yeah I mean it's a group group Cam Jurgens effort and I think it's it's better that way because there's too many times where we be mixing flip-flopping and then not everybody knows where we're going especially you know that's tough at quarterback when things get changed and he doesn't know exactly where his hot routes may be because we flipped it and it's you know sometimes you pick it all up and it's great and then when you don't it's it's bad so theoretically the fact that J has a little to do with the protections and what he also can do it could make it better because he now there's a that's what I'm saying just make sure everybody's on the same page and you know that starts Jaylen o line receivers if you if you check something make sure everybody's knowing where we're at with it this um this Packers defense is is aggressive um in terms of like a one Gap y you know um you had you don't see much of that in practice so I guess a little bit it's different you didn't play obviously in the preseason but yeah but yeah it's a different defense different style but you know the the guys around here have seen it throughout you know we play a lot of teams that play defenses like that you know Niners Jets and people that are up uphill and I mean back when shorts was here what are the emotions like for you Cam just finally to be able to get things underway and get into a real regular season game yeah just super excited I mean it's it's game we so just dialing in being Ultra hyper sensitive and focused on what's ahead of us because of who used to play center here uh there's going to be additional scrutiny on you you've heard it all summer uh dealt with it really well did that takes some getting used to or did you ever get tired of hearing about Kel or you know I I'm worried about what I'm doing and that's that's all I really care about um how I can do you know I'm not trying to replace anybody I'm just trying to be the best player I can be that's all I really care about I mean there's going to be scrutiny doesn't really matter who I overtake you know you guys are going to scrutinize if I do bad like should and if I do good you know hey if o Lyman does good and doesn't get his name called then shouldn't get that much gratitude should just you know we're doing our job I guess you guess what I'm getting at is like a lot of a lot of guys have struggle with like following a guy like that Hall of Famer but it just seems you seem really matter of fact about it not plus about it I just wonder where that comes from just that Focus yeah I I mean I dealt with that in college you know I went from tied in playing Center and I've never done that before and so obviously there was a lot of bumps on the road and just being focused on what I'm doing and what my coach is telling me because you know if you listen to the media it's it's tough because you can you can fall into that rabbit hole and people telling you you suck and then you start thinking that and then it's the same thing if if you're doing great and they tell you you're amazing and this and that and and you think you're more than you are so it's just you know taking it with a grain of salt you know you can't read all the bad stuff cuz if you read that you read the good stuff and it's just it's a double-edged sword how important to you is is the responsibility of being th Center like being the leader of that line being the guy who's making the call oh super important you know just communication it starts right out there and you know number one job is just make sure the Snaps are good and he catches everything and you know that I think people forget about that uh it's a big part of it so you know communication snaps and then beyond that just be an athlete go play football and make plays when it comes to the uh the short yardage stuff push p and all how how uh integral is the the center in terms of importance to making that thing go the way that you guys have had yeah I mean I think I think everybody's very in a role you know it's kind of like uh if one person messes up on a play it's it's a snowball effect so everybody's super important you know that's that's that's the peak of the wedge right there so obviously making sure you got the Cadence getting off on the snap and that all starts at Center and quarterback and having the bird's ey view of the the center position you know doing that for this past year what is like the the biggest key to what your job is in that I don't want to give any secrets away but yeah make sure uh I snap it and he catches it you know I mean we saw that you drop a snap it it kills the play J Tak away from taking yeah he's done a good job communicating with o line and uh you know he's learning we're learning we're all doing it together and I think that's a good part of just all communicating together and getting on the same page like I was saying I I just want to get Lane Johnson as much confidence as I can in him um you know he's obviously super huge guy and you can't teach that and he has a lot of great traits uh but for him just about uh you know being confident in him um you know being vocal with him and uh yeah man just uh I think that's really it just giv him a little confidence that goes a long way and he's uh he's been great in the meeting rooms U you know Stout's been coaching coaching him hard and uh you know making a transition from tackle to guard it's a different you know lot lot shorter space here in a phone booth but he's he's played except exceptionally well I think with reps he's going to Contin to get better but you know it's hard to teach 68 uh whatever he is 350 60 whatever he is so did you get enough work with him yeah I mean primarily most of my reps were with him I had Steen early some he heard his ankle early in Camp but most of my reps were with maai so uh but having that size and length uh definitely helps in games and pass Pro and then uh yeah man as the as the Reps come I think the confidence will grow with us we've seen a lot of guys who who kind of replace or follow legendary players struggle with just the expectations and it I guess the way cam is handled seems really just I don't know he seems to be so focused and yeah nothing bothers him like that how's he handled it in your eyes yeah I think he's done exceptionally well um obviously Kel is uh you know one of a million type you know players and U but I think Kel saw a lot of attributes in cam as far as his movement skills his athleticism so um you know as far as that that's concerned he's worked his ta off I think um you know Kel has helped him some um you know during this Camp far as uh making points working a stout um being confident in that so I think um you know he's he's really played well and uh you know I think Ramy keeps it pretty simple I think when you do that you're you're able to focus more and not you know you're not trying to be a hero you're not trying to be Jason Kelsey every snap you're you know he's being Cam jerkens and so um you know it's hard you know I came here I had to you know replace Jason Peters or so I thought and then you know he's still playing now so uh yeah man a lot of it's about being focused and and becoming the best you