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Ever since coming to the Philadelphia Eagles as a second-round pick in 2012, defensive end Vinny Curry has been super productive and under the radar.
He’s never been a full-time player, but in the limited amount of time he was on the field, Curry has been a pass-rushing machine. The fact that he logged nine sacks last year, despite playing in only 33 percent of defensive snaps, says a ton about his potential. But for as good as he’s been, the Eagles would be smart to trade him sooner than later.
The idea of trading a consistently disruptive pass rusher isn’t generally smart, because no team in the league can ever have too many good pass rushers. But the problem the Eagles have with Curry is that barring some major injury or concession on Curry’s part, the Eagles won’t be able to afford him after 2015.
Curry is on the last year of his rookie deal. Right now, he stands to make a much bigger chunk of cash next year. I can’t see how the Eagles can pay him, especially after they doled out a big contract for Brandon Graham this offseason. For as much as the cap might go up soon, the Eagles have extensions for more important pieces coming up.
The other problem is the fact that Curry doesn’t play just one position. He lines up as an outside linebacker in certain spots, then drops down onto the line as a fourth lineman when the Eagles go to a 4-3 look. Do you pay him as a lineman, or a linebacker? If you do pay him a bigger salary, how do you work him into the defense enough to make him worth it? How much will that decrease Graham’s value? They didn’t just pay Graham like that to not be the starter. That’s a lot of delicate lines the Eagles have to walk in order to keep him, and with 31 other teams looking for pass-rushing depth, it’s tough to think Curry’s time in Philadelphia is long.
Maybe if Curry really, really wants to stay in Philadelphia he’ll take less than his market value to stick around longer. If that doesn’t happen, the Eagles would be smart to trade him now while his value is high and the team can get some value back for him. I’d hate to see him go. Scheme fit or not, Curry has been an awesome boost to the defense. But the reality of the situation is what it is, and Curry may just be too good for the Eagles to afford. So if that’s the case, make a deal and make his loss worth the while.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
