Vinny Curry released by Buccaneers: Should the Eagles bring him back?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially released defensive end Vinny Curry less than a year after signing him to a 3-year, $23 million deal. He struggled with injuries throughout the 2018 season, and ended up losing his starting role to Carl Nassib, making his contract a bit too steep for the team to continue.

Curry only played in 12 games last season, starting in seven, and finished the year with 21 total tackles and 7 quarterback hits — including 2.5 sacks. His production was down coming off a massive year for the Super Bowl winning Eagles in 2017, when he notched 42 total tackles and 18 quarterback hits (for 3 sacks).

Curry was always a fan favorite in Philadelphia, having grown up an Eagles fan and living the dream of being drafted to his ideal team in 2012. He had a few years of inconsistency when he was moved around the defense, particularly to positions that didn’t fit his strengths, before Jim Schwartz joined the staff and reverted to the 4-3 defense better suited for Curry.

The Eagles definitely need to bolster their defensive line this offseason, but with a draft class heavy in defensive line talent, Howie Roseman and staff may wait to decide whether Curry could be someone they bring back until after the NFL Draft.

Whether Curry is still on the market following the opening of free agency will be a risk that I’d bet on Roseman taking — but it’s the same risk a lot of teams could make when cheaper draft options might look a bit more viable.