Eagles Notes: Curry still trying to prove he fits with Eagles

Vinny Curry recorded the Eagles' lone sack Friday in their preseason opener, showcasing pass-rushing skills that have seldom been questioned. It remains unclear how much Curry will play, though, because he is not an ideal fit for the team's 3-4 scheme.

"When we're out of our 3-4 mentality and we're in our pass-rush third down, Vinny's always in the backfield," defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "That's what he does well. The two-gap part of it, he's a little undersized to two-gap. But he's getting better and better and better at two-gapping.

"But you're talking about Vinny . . . and you're asking him to take on 500 pounds of men in a double team, that's not his world. When you ask Vinny to get in the gap and penetrate, that's his world."

Curry is 6-foot-3 and about 277 pounds, which makes him one of the two lightest defensive linemen on the team. When he tried to add weight last season, he felt sluggish. Curry felt pressure last season to prove he was not a second-round bust and finished with four sacks. He has higher hopes this season, but that requires him to be more than a situational pass rusher.

"Of course you want to be one of the guys, one of the lead players on the team," Curry said.

Curry said he could reach double digits in sacks if given the opportunity. However, he was one of the players who was miscast as the Eagles changed defensive schemes under the new coaching staff. This season will be an indication of whether Curry can fit.

"It's not the player I want to be," Curry said of efforts to bulk up. "It's what they want me to do."

The Eagles left for Foxborough, Mass., after a light walk-through on Monday. They will practice with the Patriots for the next three days before playing a preseason game against New England on Friday.

"You really do know where you are against the elite of the elite when you get to play and practice against them a couple of days in a row," Davis said. "So we're all really excited about going up there and challenging ourselves and going against the best."

Cornerback Cary Williams said earlier in camp that he did not see the purpose of practicing with the Patriots. He called them "cheaters" because of the 2007 Spygate scandal. When Williams was asked Monday about visiting New England, he was not in the mood to create headlines.

"I'm Employee 26, and I'll do what I'm told," Williams said. "So as far as I'm concerned, if Coach says go up there and practice with them, that's who I'm going to practice against. No bitterness in my heart about the situation. I look at it as an opportunity."

When Williams was asked if he would say hello to Patriots coach Bill Belichick, he did not laugh.

"I'm not going to say hi to nobody," he said.