After some deliberations between offers from the Eagles and Giants, the decision is in. Brandon Graham has decided to remain with the Eagles, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). It’ll be a four-year deal worth $6.5MM per season, according to Tim McManus of 97.5 The Fanatic (on Twitter). In total, the deal gives Graham $14MM guaranteed.
Graham, 27 in April, recorded 5.5 sacks and 46 total tackles in 2014. The former first-round choice has moved around a bit in the front seven over the years, having seen time at defensive tackle, defensive end, and outside linebacker. Last season, he played the bulk of his snaps at outside linebacker and enjoyed his best season to date. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed him as the third best OLB in a 3-4 set last season. PFF was also high on Graham in 2013, ranking him as the 15th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
It was said earlier this month that talks between the Eagles and Graham weren’t going so well, but Philly managed to turn things around and retain one of their top free agents. The Eagles carved out some extra room to keep the linebacker when they released Trent Cole earlier this month.
Graham chose a longer contract with the Eagles over the Giants, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (on Twitter).