Getty Vinny Curry had five sacks last year for the Eagles and was one of their most productive pass rushers after Week 12.
As the rumor mill pounds the Jadeveon Clowney drum, the Eagles would be wise to look in another direction. There is a guy who grew up in the organization looking for work.
Vinny Curry was Philadelphia’s former second-round pick (59th overall) in 2012 and proved to be a solid contributor for them in 2019. The 31-year-old played on a one-year valued at $2.25 last season and ended the year as one of the NFL’s most lethal edge rushers. He’ll turn 32 in June, right before training camp begins.
Curry finished with five sacks in a rotational role, all of them coming after Week 12. He was tied for the fifth-best quarterback pressure rate (16.8%) in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and was named the Eagles’ “Most Improved Player.” Remember, he helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl in 2018 — and did it playing for his hometown team.
More impressively, Curry ranked fifth in the league on “pass rushes versus two blockers.” Per PFF’s Neil Hornsby, the dominating defensive end faced the situation 106 times and won 20.8-percent of the time. In total, he registered six quarterback hits, seven hurries, 18 pressures and 27 combined tackles on 393 defensive snaps in 2019. He was rated as the No. 22 overall edge rusher out of 107 qualifying players.
Here is what Pro Football Focus wrote about Curry last season:
I don’t think people understand how disruptive Curry was as a rotational pass-rusher this past season on the Eagles’ defensive line. Altogether, 99 different edge defenders rushed the passer 200 or more times over the course of the regular season, and among those players, Curry ranked tied for fifth in pressure rate (16.8%) with T.J. Watt.
Another interesting @PFF stat for 2109… Win rate on pass rushers vs. 2+ blockers.
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Curry Wanted to Return to Eagles in 2020
The Eagles unceremoniously let Curry walk in free agency back in March. The two sides have been linked to a possible reunion several times in the offseason but no contract has been offered. The native of Neptune, NJ has also been rumored to be high on the New York Jets’ radar.
Curry himself openly lobbied to stay in Philadelphia after the conclusion of the 2019 season. He seemed to think his production and value spoke volumes. Thus far, GM Howie Roseman hasn’t decided that the kid he drafted is worth a roster spot in 2020.
“This is where home is,” Curry told Sports Bash, via 97.3 ESPN in South Jersey. “You’ve got the most passionate fans in the world, ya got to love it. You’d like to think in free agency, the Eagles would want me back. When free agency starts, I’ll be hoping to hear from them.”
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