A quickie chat with Brandon Graham

Maybe the Dolphins draft Rolando McClain because everyone loves the guy and everyone says he's going to be a star. Maybe they take Eric Berry (if he's there) because they need a playmaking free safety. Maybe they reach for a nose tackle or a wide receiver.

I still love Michigan's Brandon Graham.

Have I made that point to you guys enough this week? Even as the adoption papers are being drawn up, I wanted to share with you yet more reasons I think this star DE-OLB from Michigan is the real deal and should be considered at No. 12 overall -- contrary opinions from Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and all the other draft pundits notwithstanding.

I direct you to this interview Graham did with Scout.com during Senior Bowl week -- before he went off and won the game MVP award with five tackles and two sacks.

In the interview Graham says a couple of things that caught my attention:

He expects to run in the 4.5s at the Indianapolis Combine next week. And he loves the idea of playing 3-4 outside linebacker.

"Oh yeah, I feel real good," Graham says about dropping in coverage. "I've been working on my hips, working on my drops every day in practice for Michigan ... With a little coaching from the NFL guys, I believe I can get it done."

Graham has no shortage of confidence. And he couples that with something of a chip that dares naysayers to disbelieve he can do whatever he sets out to do. That's why he says he wants to run in the 4.5s at the Combine.

"I'm excited because I like it when people doubt me," he says. "That's just a challenge and I like challenges and I'm going to try to fulfill it. And if I don't, then I gave it my all and that's all I can say."

One thing Graham has shown in all his games and all the practices at the Senior Bowl was a seemingly infinite desire. He wants to be good. He wants to improve. He wants to get to the quarterback. He wants to be an NFL star.

"[I'm] just trying to show that my motor's always going," he says, "I love football and I want to make plays and sack the quarterback."

You combine want-to and talent and you know what you have?

A very good NFL player.

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Comments

[cuban menace]

OC, Hows the weather(Or better yet the housewives) Of your county doing????

[Armando Salguero]

Paul, have you noticed how your impersonations disappear? Getting the hint yet?

[Rob in OC]

Cuban, Good job sir Knight of the stranded kitty! lol

Might as well get your take...

Q 2.) If you watch clips to catch up on guys that you either didn't get a chance to see play live or missed the game... why is that bad?

Or should I say do you think it's bad?

[Rob in OC]

LOL, realist! Nice post! Good form.

Cheers,

[cuban menace]

OC, Its not, But Ive noticed that most of them are high light Videos, unless you watch collage religiously its hard to make a great call on some of these guys.... IMHO....

[Rob in OC]

cuban,

weather is slightly cloudy and about 70 degrees.

The housewives I'm sure are doing fine lol. I am happily married so you know i have to poke my eyes out... jk.

Cheers,

[Rob in OC]

Armando is here!!! Heads will roll. =)

I hope you can keep the screen name imposter thing mitigated. It was nasty in here at times today but half the time it's the imposter stirring the pot.

Thanks for doing what you can Mando. I even saw where NJ PHIN was asking you to regulate and he usually prefers to handle his own biz on the blog.

Thanks again for screening the non factors that have little to add to a football convo.

Cheers,

[perspective]

Armando, please look at my post/question @5:07 and tell me if you know the answer please. Thanks

[Rob in OC]

cuban,

The trouble is some of that are trying to have lives outside of one passion that is NFL football can't or don't want to attend or watch all the college games to...especially if it's schools you didn't attend.

You therefore, have to track down footage, watch bowl games, All star games, combine, pick up what you can from media sources and forge ahead with your best guess.

I don't see it as a gigantic negative. As this talent evaluation is based on having an eye for talent and not the amount of hours spent. If that were the case we could all cash our SB winning checks on BP's assessments as he has been around it forever...and makes mistakes.

Cheers,

[carlito from golfito]

I'm sad the impostor posts were deleted... I missed out on the funny stuff...

[carlito from golfito]

So, the impostors name is Paul? ... As in Paul Blart? ... The mall cop????

Cuban, you are so busted! ;)

[ALoco]

IMPOSTER ??????? CAN'T BE .......ON THIS BLOG ? IT CAN'T BE .
TIME FOR MY MEATBALL SUB .

[ALoco]

carlito can be the imposter , he can speak english.

[Po White Trash]

Combine is right around the corner! Cant Wait!

[Rob in OC]

cuban,

I hope you don't impersonate others. I think that, while at times can lead to funny threads is NEVER worth any chuckle it might bring.

It causes rifts between Fin fans that should not even be mad at each other. Then the person has to go around apologizing etc. Too much drama for a football blog imho.

Cheers,

[carlito from golfito]

sorry bud, wasn't me

[Armando Salguero]

perspective, Parcells hasn't ALWAYS drafted two players for each position. Just so happened that the last couple of years, the Dolphins have had significant needs at CB and DE and OL so they took multiple players in those positions.

If you remember, they also signed players in those positions -- Randy Starks at DE and even Eric Green at CB. Yet we're not saying they took triple players at those positions. It was coincidence of need and that the highest rated players on the board played the positions.

I'm not certain Ireland had any role in that coincidence, either.

I know it's been written that taking a double dip into the position is a Parcells strategy. That takes liberties without actually having asked Parcells.

[carlito from golfito]

plus, my name is carlito

[Rob in OC]

Po is in the house!

Sup Po!

Cheers,

[Po White Trash]

Mando,

Ya gonna be covering the combine?

Hope so.

Sup Ron in the OC...

[ALoco]

the best people back together in da house, CUBAN,ROB AND PO .

[Po White Trash]

Typo typo, LOL

Rob in the OC...

[Po White Trash]

n & b are right next to each other and my typing SUCKS!

[perspective]

Armando, thanks. I wonder if it's part of the taining process.

[ALoco]

I LIKE TO PLAY 007 SOME TIMES ,THERE FOR CARLITO WAS THE IMPOSTER .

[Armando Salguero]

Po, I won't be going to the Combine. I stopped covering it around 2003. The Herald is sending the beat writer, Jeff Darlington and he will be writing from there.

I will have live updates, however, as both Darlington and Chris Cordero will be sending back info for this blog.

So you'll have more information than you'll probably want on here.

[paul]

There was more than one imposter on here today it wasn't just one guy. Armando needs to clean them all up not just one guy's. Examples of that was the guy impersonating rob in oc and other's . It wasn't paul whoever . I know for a fact it wasn't just one guy . To name one guy is BS False and irresponsible.

[cuban menace]

OC, Only post as myself, Mando has Verified this, If I have something to say or bash some one I do under my name, LOL at Carlito, great post, but Nah it wasnt me......

[perspective]

ooops, training.

[Po White Trash]

Love this time of year, it’s like....

Rebirth!

[Armando Salguero]

Many Me!!!!!!

[carlito from golfito]

I would say with a blend of the best player available philosophy and the Dolphins needs, I would rank their best possible options from 1-5 based on who should be available at 12 as:

1. Rolando McClain
2. Dan Williams
3. Dez Bryant
4. C.J. Spliller
5. Jason Pierre-Paul

Please note, these guys wouldn't all be my choice necessarily, as I personally think the Phins should go defense heavy. It all depends on who is on the board at 12.

[Po White Trash]

Our loss Mando.

[ALoco]

ARMANDO , what does a beat writer means ?

[Rob in OC]

Armando,

Agreed. Taking double players I feel is more happenstance than actually BP saying "Hey my strategy is the next 2 picks we go WR"

It doesn't help to cover mistakes in drafting if you are targeting a certain postion as there are always misses but, I think the Trifecta simply stick to their board and draft as good of football players as they can...for the most part.

Cheers,

[carlito from golfito]

Cuban,

I know it wasn't you, just couldn't resist the Paul Blart thing...

[Armando Salguero]

Aloco, the beat writer is the person assigned to that beat (the Dolphins) who is responsible for writing news and getting you all the information possible. And hopefully he/she does it first and best.

[Rob in OC]

No worries Po,

I always grade on a big curve and I let typo's fly sometimes to... never woory about it with me. I'm here for football chat not to spell check people.

Cheers,

[Po White Trash]

I need a Big curve...

[ALoco]

thanks BUT CAN BE MORE THAN ONE BEAT WRITER AND WHAT DOES THAT LEAVE YOU , WHAT YOU CALL YOURSELF ?

[cuban menace]

OC, Word on the street is Jeffery(Hollywood)Ross is thinking about moving the mighty air breather's to the "Left" coast. Can you confirm this and if it's true are you the one courting "Mr. Hollywood"???lol

[Armando Salguero]

We're good PN, just play nice, dude. You add a lot of fun to the blog. Do it as you or one of your other pen names.

Don't take the names of your frienemies to make them look stupid.

[carlito from golfito]

Ok, so who is Travis?

[Armando Salguero]

Aloco, that leaves me to do this blog, to write columns, to give opinion and analysis and to use my sources to help out any way I can.

[p]

Gotcha !!

[SoiledBottom]

Dear Mr. Salguero

More questions about the draft.

After all the teams have adopted the kids they want, what does Roger Goodell do with the kids that went unadopted.

Are they put to sleep like at the pound ?

Are they put to work in some oversea's factory to work 16 hr days for little pay to make NFL approved apparel ?

Are they put in foster homes ?

Can Madonna or Angelina adopt one ?

Soiled :)

[ALoco]

THANK YOU armando , i asked b/c you were covering the playoffs and traveling so i thought you the beat writer as you describe it .thanks again .

[Rob in OC]

cuban,

Glad to hear that. Who know's how many but, I would imagine it can;t be too many and Armando will do what it takes to keep this blog clean and football oriented for the most part.

All blogs will wander topic wise from time to time no big deal.

Annoying is when your trying to defend your honor or you're supporting one of your ideas and you have to swim through the political or global warming posts just to make sure you don't miss content.

Cheers,

[Rob in OC]

Armando,

Would you rather attend and wish the Herald sent you to the combine or is it more of a hassle and there's no place like home?

Cheers,

[Jordan]

Dolphin and Wolverine fan here. I was beyond excited when they drafted Long and Henne, and I'll be the same if they draft Graham. Check out this hit from the UofM/MSU game. Lit up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu8AkX-t-rs&feature=player_embedded

[p]

HA HA @ armando with his comeback of the cuban menace with "many -me ". He sure verified it , didn't he. ???

[Armando Salguero]

Soiled, once the teams adopt their kids, there are unadopted kids that are signed. They go to training camps working for lunch money but hoping to hit it big by impressing somebody.

Other unadopted kids get adopted by the Arena League or the UFL. Other unadopted kids go into the business world.

And still other unadopted kids buy guns or knives and come jiggle the locks on your doors at night to see what it is in your house they can "borrow." You dig?

[carlito from golfito]

Rob in Oc,

I dont speak for Armando, but as a South Florida resident I can tell you there is no way I would leave Miami for Indianapolis in February.

[adrian solorza]

ARMANDO , what does a beat writer means ?

Posted by: ALoco | February 19, 2010 at 06:13 PM

may be something with the beat literature, beat generation (beatles). I think.

[Armando Salguero]

Rob, the Herald treats me great. I have wonderful bosses. They ask me if I want to go to Indy to cover the Combine.

I then get out my weight scales and balance Indy vs Miami, Indy vs. Miami, Indy vs. Miami. Miami wins!

So I stay home.

I do like covering the NFL owners meetings and not just because they meet in Palm Springs and Hawaii and Palm Beach and the Biltmore in Arizona. I just like that assignment so I do that one in March.

[cuban menace]

HA HA @ armando with his comeback of the cuban menace with "many -me ". He sure verified it , didn't he. ???

Posted by: p | February 19, 2010 at 06:26 PM

Mando please correct this individual please.....

[ALoco]

why i got the feeling that armando likes to be among the rich owners and not in the middle of sweaty big nfl hopeful ?

[p]

many me !!!!!

[Rob in OC]

Carlito @ 6:13,

My top 5 @ #12 shakes out like...

1. Graham
2. Spiller
3. Williams
4. Weatherspoon
5. Dez (although based on talent only, he has diva written all over him)

I could very easily trade Dez for Mclain or Pierre Paul.

Cheers,

[Armando Salguero]

Best I can tell the Menace is the Menace.

I'm out. Got to work out a little before the wife gets home.