Should Eagles be interested in a Vinny Curry reunion?

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It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but just a year after signing him to a three-year contract, the Tampa Bay Bucs have officially released former Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry. 

This isn’t a surprise because the Bucs will save $8 million in salary cap space by releasing Curry, who played 42.5 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps and had just 2½ sacks to show for it. 

So now, the big question is this: Should the Eagles be interested in a reunion? 

Short answer: Sure. 

Now, that’s not to say the Eagles should break the bank to bring back Curry, who has had one career season with over four sacks. But if Brandon Graham leaves in free agency, Curry could be a cost-effective replacement. 

Before last season, Curry signed a three-year deal worth $23 million with Tampa Bay, but just $6.5 million was guaranteed upon signing. The Bucs always had the option to basically turn it into a one-year deal and that’s exactly what they did. 

We’ll see what kind of market develops for Curry, but I can’t expect there will be a huge one. After all, he’ll be 31 by the start of the 2019 season and is coming off a relatively unproductive season, his first away from Philadelphia. 

Taking a closer look at the Eagles’ situation at defensive end: If Graham leaves, the Eagles will be left with Derek Barnett, Michael Bennett, Josh Sweat and possibly Chris Long, if he decides to come back. With how deep this draft is supposed to be for defensive linemen, signing Curry shouldn’t prevent the Eagles from drafting a young defensive end. That should still be a priority. 

But if the money is right and Curry wants to come back — I’d imagine he would want to — this is a reunion that’s worth thinking about. Maybe let Curry test the free-agent waters a little bit and if a competitive market doesn’t develop, welcome him home. 

Curry spent his first six NFL seasons with the Eagles after they drafted him in the second round back in 2012. While he’s never really lived up to that potential for various reasons, he was a pretty solid player during his years in Philadelphia. He always seemed to want to stay. As a rotational piece, and at the right price, the Eagles should at least give this some thought. 

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