Following the addition of Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks, the writing was on the wall for veteran defensive end Vinny Curry's tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. Shortly thereafter, Curry was released by the Eagles after spending his first six years in the league with the team.
This immediately put him in the free-agent market as one of the more intriguing players available at his position. It didn't take long for Curry to find his next landing spot in the NFL as he has reportedly agreed to sign a three-year deal that could be worth up to $27 million, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.
Source tells me Vinny Curry is heading to the Bucs on a three-year deal for up to $27 million with $11.5 million injury guarantee. https://t.co/urIDc8kzra
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 17, 2018
The addition of Curry helps provides the Buccaneers with more stability along the defensive front alongside All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
Curry has struggled to produce in his first two years in the five-year, $47.2 million deal that he had with the Eagles recording just 5.5 sacks over that span. However, the change in scenery could help him get back on track to perform at a high level like he did prior to that lucrative deal as he had a career-high 9.0 sacks with four forced fumbles in the 2014 campaigns.
In order to make room to acquire Curry, the Buccaneers had to part ways with veteran defensive end Robert Ayers, who was set to enter the third year of his three-year, $19.5 million deal. He was set to make $6 million for the 2018 season, which included a roster bonus worth $1 million that was due on March 18. Ayers took a notable step back in production this past season, finishing with just 2.0 sacks in 12 games. He had been part of the team's lackluster pass rush which finished last in the league with just 22 total sacks.
Curry marks the third addition for the Buccaneers to the defensive line in free agency as the team has already signed former Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen and former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Mitch Unrein.
Follow Us
Subscribe