Was Avraham a Lamdan?

This blog post on the Seforim blog discusses the historical attitudes towards Drash in reconciling the Written Torah with the Oral Torah. I would like to note that we have quite a few examples here on Reb Chaim HaQoton of the type of pilpul which he describes (most of these were even written before the seforim he mentions were published!).
See
Relations of Humankind
Resting on the Seventh Day
Pre-Sinaitic Jewry
The Daughter of Abraham
Eating the Nerve
Marriage and Divorce in Egypt
Satmar and Slavery
Pre-Sinaitic Halacha
Tithes and Charity
Converting in Egypt
On the Road to Egypt