Birds re-sign Curry to 5-year deal

THE KNEE-JERK reaction is to say Vinny Curry wouldn't have gotten his new five-year, $47.25 million contract had the Eagles remained a 3-4 defensive team, under Chip Kelly.

But deposed defensive coordinator Bill Davis constantly talked up Curry's ability to get pass-rush pressure during the 2015 season, even though Curry's sack numbers fell from nine in 2014 to 3 1/2. Davis and other Eagles coaches felt Curry was a consistent force in pushing the pocket. To be a starter, though, a 3-4 end has to be a run-stopper, and that isn't Curry's game.

We'll never really know if Curry, a 2012 second-round draft choice, who grew up an Eagles fan in Neptune, N.J., would have stayed or become a free agent next month, had Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz not replaced Kelly and Davis. Certainly, a $23 million guarantee would be virtually unprecedented for a part-time player.

But there is little debate that Curry is a good fit for the role he was drafted out of Marshall to fit - pass-rushing, 4-3 defensive end. And now he has a contract that reflects that - starter's money for a man who last season played in a career-high 35 percent of the team's defensive snaps.

The Eagles announced Tuesday evening that Curry had agreed to terms on the new deal, those terms confirmed by a league source. The Curry deal follows pacts signed by Zach Ertz, Brent Celek and Lane Johnson over the past week or so. Curry is scheduled to meet reporters Wednesday at noon at NovaCare.

Since returning to power, Eagles vice president Howie Roseman has talked up the importance of signing and developing your own draft picks. Curry is part of Roseman's best draft class during his 2010-14 reign as Eagles general manager, the only draft in that span in which Roseman wasn't contending either with former team president Joe Banner or Kelly.

Curry, who turns 28 in June, is 6-3, 279. He has played all 32 games the past two seasons but has never started. The Minnesota Vikings did a very similar contract in 2014 with Everson Griffen, a defensive end who never had started to that point. Griffen has double-digit sack totals (12 and 10 1/2) the past two seasons, and was named to the Pro Bowl this year as an injury replacement for J.J. Watt.

Roseman has more work to do before free agency starts. Quarterback Sam Bradford, defensive lineman Cedric Thornton and safety Walter Thurmond can become free agents. Curry's deal might make it hard to fit in Thornton, who started 13 games last season as a 3-4 end. There is also the team's best player, defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, currently scheduled to play the option year of his rookie contract at $7.799 million. The Eagles are expected to sign Cox to a longer-term contract, perhaps lowering his cap number.

Curry could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. He tweeted: "#FlyEaglesFly 5 more years . . . God is great." He included a video clip from The Office in which Michael Scott announces "It's happening!" and runs around agitated while imploring his employees to "stay calm."

bowenl@phillynews.com

On Twitter: @LesBowen

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