The Eagles released veteran defensive end Brandon Graham on Tuesday.
It is a procedural move that was expected post-June 1 based on his contract. According to multiple reports, though, it is possible Graham could return to the Eagles.
The team, though, improved the edge rusher position in the offseason, acquiring Jonathan Greenard and Arnold Ebiketie in a room that already included Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt.
Graham, 38, played his 17th season for the team in 2025, seeing action in nine games. He totaled eight tackles and three sacks in 113 snaps.
In his career, Graham has recorded 79.5 sacks and 156 quarterback hits.
After the trade of A.J. Brown to the Patriots, General Manager Howie Roseman said replacing Brown “will have to be picked up by more than just one player.”
One of those expected to help pick up the slack, first-round pick Makai Lemon, did not practice Tuesday. Lemon watched the team’s organized team activity from the sideline, while wearing a sleeve on his right leg.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP reports that Lemon’s injury isn’t serious, and the former USC star is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
Lemon has a soft-tissue injury that teammate Quinyon Mitchell revealed is a hamstring injury, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Lemon, who participated in the OTA open to the media last week, is not expected to return to practice until training camp.
All throughout the offseason, there have been rumors that the Eagles were preparing to move on from receiver A.J. Brown.
Now that the trade to the Patriots has been executed, everyone can move forward.
That was at least the message from left tackle Jordan Mailata, who spoke to reporters on Tuesday.
“Yes, we can move on now,” Mailata said, via Zach Berman of TheAthletic.com. “I think most of us that have been here the last six weeks, we have moved on, just from, we have enough to worry about. Getting over last year, and then coming in here and learning a new scheme and new concepts, like we had to press on. So that’s what we were doing.
“I think this is more of a — it sounds terrible — but like, thank God it’s over. It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out? We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense. But we got to keep these wheels moving, we got new guys coming in, we got rookies coming in again, we got to build that culture every year.”
There have been plenty of changes for the Eagles offense this offseason. Now that the trade has been executed, the unit can lock in and look completely toward the future.
A.J. Brown hasn’t been in New England even a full day. Yet, after his first practice, the wide receiver likes what he has seen.
“I’m just still in awe,” Brown told reporters on Tuesday. “Walking up the hill with the uniform on, I was like, ‘This is real.’ Caught myself at one point in practice, I wasn’t paying attention because I was like, ‘Dang. I’m a Patriot.’ Just trying to take it all in as much as I can. Obviously, I got back to work quickly. But there’s levels to it. I’m enjoying it. Obviously, I know this ain’t heaven, but it’s close to it.”
The Eagles traded Brown to the Patriots on Monday, receiving a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection in return.
Brown grew up a Patriots fan, and when they didn’t draft him in 2019, he said he cried. The Titans selected him in the second round, 19 picks after the Patriots selected Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry at 32nd overall.
“That was a tough night. I joked about it earlier, I said the Patriots been breaking my heart over the years,” Brown said. “That night, I was looking forward to being picked going in the first round. I was projected a first-round pick. Obviously, things can go another way. The 32nd pick, they took another receiver. As soon as the pick came in, I was already in my car leaving my draft party. I went back to my room, went in my closet and tried to gather myself. I was just disappointed. It was somewhere I wanted to be. Obviously, I wanted to play with Tom [Brady], and that didn’t happen. But everything happens for a reason.”
Brown wouldn’t address what happened with the Eagles that prompted him to want out, but he made it clear he’s happy to be with the Patriots.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith said in early May that he was focused on doing his job when asked about the expected trade of A.J. Brown and he didn’t have too different a take now that his longtime running mate at receiver has been dealt to the Patriots.
Smith said “business is business” when asked about his response to Monday’s news and noted that his business is not making roster decisions for the Eagles. He said he and Brown “had a great time here” and complemented each other well because they are different types of receivers.
Brown was usually seen as the No. 1 in that 1-2 punch and Smith was asked a few questions on Tuesday about now being in that spot on the Eagles’ depth chart. He said his approach is not attached to what number he’s assigned in the pecking order.
“I’m just going out there and do my job,” Smith said, via Eliot Shorr-Parks of WIP. “Regardless of how you want to look at it — No. 1, 2, 3, 4 — however you want to look at it, at the end of the day, we all have jobs.”
Smith said he thinks the current makeup of the team’s receiver room “brings out the best in everybody” and the Eagles will be banking on strength in numbers making up for what Brown brought to the offense over the last four seasons.
