New York Giants: Examining What Aaron Curry Brings to the Table

Addressing a need that many were disappointed that the New York Giants disregarded at the 2013 NFL draft, the team has signed outside linebacker and former first-round draft pick Aaron Curry.

Curry was the fourth overall selection in the 2009 NFL draft, joining a blossoming young Seattle Seahawks defense. The Wake Forest product had huge expectations coming out of college, but his collegiate success and perceived potential has simply never been realized at the professional level.

“He was the fourth pick in the draft a few years ago, so obviously we think he has some talent,” Giants’ general manager Jerry Reese told reporters following the announcement of the signing. “We had him graded high back then. We’ll see what happens this spring with him.”

Curry’s performance to date has been pedestrian at best. After two dismal seasons in Seattle, the Oakland Raiders acquired Curry in a trade during the 2011 season. He earned a contract for 2012 following a somewhat promising campaign for the Raiders with 46 tackles in 11 games (nine starts). Unfortunately, he played in just two games last season before he was cut in November.

The Giants are hopeful the 27-year-old can recreate himself in a new environment.

“He passed the physical for us and had a pretty good workout,” Reese said. “We think we have a good opportunity for him here to see if he can reinvent himself a little bit and bring something to this linebacking corps.”

Curry is a low risk, high reward player. For the price at which the Giants obtained him, they really can’t go wrong. And if he lives up to some of that potential — and stays healthy — he could be a key role player in New York.

But could is an awfully broad word, especially when considering the Giants’ newest acquisition.

At 6-foot-2, 265 pounds, he boasts good size — though he could benefit from losing a few pounds. Size and speed were never a question when it came to Curry, though.

Some limited film study reveals a player that has struggled in most areas of the game. He shows poor positioning on most plays with even worse recognition skills. As a result, he’s been consistently trampled over in run defense or left in the dust in pass coverage.

While his struggles in coverage were expected by some coming out of college (such as Walter Football’s Matt McGuire), his deficiencies against the run were a surprise and have not seen improvement. He makes all the wrong reads and runs directly into blockers, taking them head-on rather than seemingly even trying to get by them. Consequently, Curry rarely registers a high volume of tackles and makes little positive impact on a game.

In addition, his effort leaves something to be desired. Too many times Curry is seen standing still, watching as the play goes on rather than chasing down the ball carrier.

Then there are those moments… those glimpses of pro-level talent that show through. The spectacular reads that result in big tackles in the backfield. A crushing hit on former Giants tight end Kevin Boss to force a fumble.

Those are the moments the G-Men hope they can get more of from Curry. They’re hopeful that he can realize some of that first-round level potential and put together performances similar to those fellow linebacker Keith Rivers had for Big Blue last season in limited time.

Despite his shortcomings, Curry is a blue-collar athlete. He has worked hard to heal from chronic knee problems and had a great workout according to himself and Jerry Reese.

He also appears to be a fantastic person with desirable leadership skills. His Twitter feed is full of pleasant and inspirational posts. One of his more intriguing tweets is one in which he praises God while noting that he took the time to talk to a rookie and participate in prayer during his visit with the Giants.

He is a highly versatile player who can play the SAM linebacker position or inside, something the Giants’ brass surely love about him. With openings at both positions, he will have his opportunity to resurrect his career and earn a starting job.

Curry’s hard work should be a positive sign for fans of the G-Men. Widely regarded as a top-five bust, he appears motivated to overcome his past failures and make his mark in New York. There are concerns looking ahead, of course. However, the Giants have a knack for getting the most out of a player that has underperformed and transforming him into a minor star (see: Martellus Bennett in 2012).

History has a tendency to repeat itself, and that’s certainly not on Curry’s side. But hard work perseveres over all, and if he keeps fighting, he will get his opportunity to redeem himself and rejuvenate his NFL career.

 

Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.