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Defensive end Vinny Curry has found a new home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, agreeing to a three-year deal, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.
The contract is reportedly worth up to $27 million with $11.5 million guaranteed in case of injury.
The 29-year-old spent the first six years of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, starting all 19 games during their run to the Super Bowl title last season.
Though Curry finished with just three sacks to go with 42 tackles, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com felt he played better than that:
Eliot Shorr-Parks @EliotShorrParks
Take his contract out of the equation, and Vinny Curry was an underrated player last season. He was good against the run and pressured the QB. #Eagles
His contract was an issue for the Eagles as they kept adding talent. As Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported, Curry was released before the $5 million guarantee in his $9 million base salary for 2018 kicked in.
Philadelphia had tried to restructure his contract and trade him but was unable to do so, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Eagles’ loss was a gain for the Buccaneers, who added an experienced pass-rusher who can contribute on all three downs. Per Pro Football Reference, Curry was second among Philly defensive linemen with 576 snaps last season and could play even more in Tampa with less competition for playing time.
He has proved his reliability with four straight seasons of 16 games and added big-time playoff experience last season. Considering the Buccaneers finished last in the NFL with 22 sacks in 2017, this appears to be a quality fit for both sides.