Vinny Curry Released by Eagles, Will Enter Free Agency

Defensive end Vinny Curry has been with the Philadelphia Eagles his entire career, but that will change in 2018.

Philadelphia announced it released Curry on Friday:

The move came after the sides were unable to agree on a pay cut, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

The Eagles drafted Curry in the second round in 2012 out of Marshall, and he eventually became an important part of the defensive line rotation as they won the Super Bowl last season.

However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on March 4 the team was negotiating with Curry in an effort to have him take less money or potentially trade him. The update came after Rapoport had previously reported Philadelphia was "expected to release" the defensive end, who was due $9 million this year for a team that was "up against the cap."

The presence of 2017 first-round pick Derek Barnett figures to make Curry's departure more manageable.

Still, Curry has been a durable player of the Eagles defense and appeared in all 16 games in each of the last four seasons.

He notched a career-best 42 tackles last season and has 22 sacks in his career, nine of which came in 2014. He has at least 2.5 sacks every year except when he played just six games as a rookie, and he is a consistent presence in opposing backfields and racks up tackles against the run as well.

While he will be 30 years old during the 2018 season, Curry is a proven veteran with postseason experience. The defense for whichever team signs him will be better with him on it, even if he isn't expected to be the primary pass-rusher in every game.