Joe Douglas hasn’t stopped upgrading Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense. By signing veteran defensive end Vinny Curry to a one-year, $1.3 million deal, the Jets added a great situational pass-rusher who also gives the Jets an experienced presence on a line that’s filled with young and exciting talent.
Douglas knows exactly what he signed in Curry. The two were in Philadelphia during the Eagles Super Bowl season in 2017 when Curry started all 19 games. The Jets’ assistant defensive line coach, Nate Ollie, also coached Curry the past two seasons in Philly. While Curry isn’t an every-snap player anymore, he does provide a level of depth on the edge behind Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers.
He’s efficient, too. Curry finished the 2020 season with a 12.8 pressure rate on just 148 rushes, according to ESPN, which included three sacks and 10 quarterback hits. That’s a pretty solid stat line for a defensive end who only played in 28 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps last season. He gets the most of his opportunities. Despite playing in his fewest snaps since his sophomore season, Curry finished with a 71.5 pass-rush grade and a 94.3 pressure grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
Curry likely won’t play often on run-stopping plays, though. He had a 53.1 PFF run-defense grade last year despite playing 123 snaps during those plays. But the Jets didn’t sign him for that role. He’s in New York to put pressure on the quarterback when needed, and that’s a position Curry excelled at with the Eagles.
The Saleh-Ulbrich defense doesn’t just rely on one stud pass-rusher, either. Saleh got production from backups like Dion Jordan and former Jet Jordan Willis – 5.5. combined sacks – while Ulbrich got 4.5 sacks from Charles Harris and Allen Bailey. Curry is the perfect piece to fill that role on the Jets defense when he can spell Lawson or John Franklin-Myers.
Curry can also be a great role model for a defensive line whose average age is 24.5. At 32 – he’ll be 33 in June – Curry immediately becomes the oldest member of a group seething with youth and potential. Curry’s been around the block in Philadelphia with great players like Fletcher Cox, Chris Long and Brandon Graham, and he can pass the knowledge he learned from them or during his nine years in the league onto Lawson, Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams, Foley Fatukasi and Sheldon Rankins.
The Jets didn’t bring Curry in because they think he can wrack up double-digit sack numbers. He’s never been that guy and likely won’t be in his 10th NFL season. But Curry is the perfect fit as a role player who Ulbrich can deploy when needed. The Jets defensive line looks a lot beefier than it did a year ago and the unit’s ability to push in the trenches should help the rest of the defense.