Eagles' Vinny Curry trying to transition to linebacker

AS THE EAGLES' second joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens concluded Thursday, players from both sides went through their respective cool-down routines, with some stretching among teammates and others huddling up with their positional groupings.

Shortly after, most of the players headed back into the NovaCare Complex to hit the showers, while others stayed to speak with the media or get some extra work in.

Connor Barwin was among the latter, sauntering over to the sideline between the first and second practice fields to work on his explosiveness out of a three-point stance and, frankly, beat the living hell out of a practice dummy.

After a few reps, he stood up and yelled to fourth-year defensive end Vinny Curry, "Yo, Vin. You coming? Get over here!"

Curry, who was occupied by reporters, laughed wholeheartedly and said, "You see him keep calling me over there right now?"

Barwin, a solidified starter at left outside linebacker, doesn't need the extra reps. He stayed after practice solely to work with Curry, a traditional 4-3 defensive lineman who's trying to evolve into a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Curry's transition is one of the key points of emphasis as the Eagles approach their second preseason game against the Ravens tonight, a 7 o'clock start at Lincoln Financial Field.

"He needs to continue to be himself," Barwin said. "It looks like, with some people with injuries, he's going to get a chance to play some outside linebacker, so, for him, just be who he is and then understand kind of what the job of an outside linebacker is compared to a [defensive] end, and he'll be fine.

"He's pretty athletic. He can drop; he just doesn't know where to go yet, so he just needs to learn where he's supposed to be."

Curry was drafted in the second round in 2012 by Andy Reid to be a down lineman in a 4-3 defensive front. But when Chip Kelly and his 3-4 scheme came to town in 2013, the 27-year-old from Neptune, N.J., who has never started an NFL game, had to upgrade his skill set to keep his spot in the rotation.

Last season was Curry's most productive yet, recording 16 total tackles, with career highs in sacks (nine) and forced fumbles (four), while playing in all 16 games for the first time.

As the Eagles are pretty much squared away up front, with Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan and Cedric Thornton, the coaches have been giving Curry reps at outside linebacker throughout training camp to see whether he can compete with Marcus Smith, Bryan Braman and Brad Jones for the third outside linebacker spot.

Smith, the Eagles' first round-draft pick in 2014 and most likely candidate for that job, left practice Thursday with a hamstring strain. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis said yesterday Smith will be out this week.

"I don't think it's a concern," Kelly said of the team's depth at outside linebacker. "I just think it's trying to figure out who all those guys are.

"We have two proven ones in Brandon [Graham] and Connor, and then, 'Who's the third?' is really going to be the big question for us, and that's what we're trying to find out during this preseason."

This week, the 6-3, 279-pounder was seen dropping back into coverage and picking up Ravens receivers roughly 20 to 30 yards downfield.

At first glance, it was sort of like watching a tank attempt to keep pace with a Ferrari, but he actually held his own, once he got a few reps under his belt.

Curry said he has no preference as far as his position is concerned, and is open to playing wherever he's needed - as long as he gets on the field.

"I thought it was sweet," he said of running around with receivers. "I feel pretty good. I got a lot of help. Connor, Graham, a lot guys just helping me back there.

"[Outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern] is doing a great job teaching me things and just baby-feeding me in little steps of where I need to be, where my drops need to be, and, for the most part, games have been coming together really good, so I just got to keep working."

Barwin waited a few minutes longer for Curry to finish his interview, but ultimately stopped working out and grabbed his shoulder pads once he realized his teammate wouldn't be joining him anytime soon.

He waved at Curry and said, "Next time, Vin!"

Curry smiled and let out a big chuckle as he pointed back at Barwin.

The linebacker-in-training has garnered praise from Barwin, as well as Davis, who said Curry shares similarities with Indianapolis Colts linebacker Trent Cole, a former Eagles great who made the transition from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker.

"We talk every day; every single day," Curry said of him and Cole. "That's somebody you look up to; just everything energywise, work-ethic-wise, I try to mimic that.

"He's taught me so much within the last four years; to be compared to a guy like that is just a blessing."