Aaron Curry Signs Deal with New York Giants

Linebacker Aaron Curry, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, signed a deal with the New York Giants on Friday.

Curry himself broke the news on Twitter:

Entering his fifth NFL season, this is a golden opportunity for the 27-year-old former Wake Forest standout. After two underwhelming campaigns with the Seattle Seahawks, the underachieving Curry was traded to the Oakland Raiders.

Oakland then waived Curry in November after he missed training camp while battling knee injuries. He spent just two weeks on the 53-man roster.

In 48 career games, Curry has registered 203 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 12 passes defended.

As far as his outlook in the Big Apple is concerned, there should actually be at least somewhat of a chance for Curry to be a prominent contributor to the Giants’ defense.

The starting strong-side linebacker spot is ironically occupied by Keith Rivers, according to Ourlads.com’s constantly updated projected depth chart. Rivers was the ninth overall pick out of Southern California, but never panned out with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Both players are attempting to shed the dreaded “bust” label, and it will be interesting to monitor how they battle it out in training camp.

New York desperately needs some playmakers to step up on the defensive side of the ball. In 2012, the Giants ranked 31st in total yards allowed per game (383.4) and weren’t effective at thwarting their opponents in either offensive dimension.

Curry has the athleticism to play solid coverage and is as rangy as any linebacker. If he can finally realize his immense potential in a more stable organizational environment with the Giants, Curry could wind up being a massive bargain for GM Jerry Reese.