Aaron Curry Would Be a Smart, Low-Risk Gamble for the New York Giants

Only days after New York Giants 2009 second-round bust linebacker Clint Sintim announced his retirement from the NFL (NJ.com), the G-Men are gambling on a first-round bust linebacker from that very same draft.

Aaron Curry, who was the No. 4 overall pick to Seattle that year, will have a tryout with the Giants on Thursday, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. 

Curry was a tremendous disappointment during two-and-a-half seasons with the Seahawks and failed to redeem himself during a season-and-a-half with the Raiders. He was active for only two games in 2012 and was waived by Oakland in November. 

Chronic knee issues factored in as Curry's career failed to take off on several attempts, but "he's been working out and feels healthy...and has drawn the interest of several NFL teams," according to a source of Vacchiano's. 

If indeed that's the case, the Giants would be silly not to take a flyer on the talented 27-year-old.

There are few, if any, linebacking units in this league that are as thin as New York's. Michael Boley and Chase Blackburn are gone and Mathias Kiwanuka has to help out up front, leaving Keith Rivers, Dan Connor and Jacquian Williams in provisional starting positions and five undrafted youngsters in reserve roles.

That's it.

So why not roll the dice? Jerry Reese did exactly that one year ago with Rivers, and although the former top-10 pick wasn't a star in 2012 with the G-Men, he did make the roster and perform well when healthy and active. 

The Giants have a well-structured, focused dressing room. No distractions. Good coaches. Team players. This is the perfect environment for a guy to get his career back on track.

Curry was asked to do too much too early in Seattle, where he didn't fit in perfectly from the get-go. And Oakland isn't exactly an ideal location to revive a football career. This might finally be his chance. The stars could align for him and the Giants in 2013. 

Of course, those pesky knee problems could rear their head again, as they did in the Bay Area. Or Curry could fail to impress, as he did in the Pacific Northwest. But if you're the Giants, the risk could be worth the potential reward.