According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to release starting defensive end Vinny Curry, in what is a salary dump to help get under the cap when the new league year begins on March 14.
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Curry was not a "key pass rusher" in the NFL as Rapoport states, as he had nine sacks over the last three years, though he was a good player for the Eagles in 2017, particularly in the run game. Unfortunately, Curry's play simply did not match up with his pay. Here are the cap numbers for the remainder of Curry's contract:
- 2018: $11,000,000
- 2019: $11,250,000
- 2020: $12,000,000
The Eagles couldn't keep Curry around at those numbers. By releasing him now, the Eagles will save $5,000,000, but will also take a cap hit of $6,000,000 in dead money. That's a tough pill to swallow, but a necessary one.
Curry's release clears the way for second-year pro Derek Barnett to take over as the starter at RDE.
UPDATE: Backtrack alert. Orrrrrrrrr, they're trying to get him to take a pay cut:
(Eye roll emoji here.)
UPDATE #2: Lol
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