He’s hoping to return in time for the team’s regular-season opener on September 14.
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OLB Marcus Smith injured his hamstring in Thursday’s joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens.
Over the course of the offseason, the Eagles have been slowly incorporating defensive end Vinny Curry into the mix at outside linebacker.
“It’s not as bad as I thought it was”, said Smith, who suffered the injury in kickoff coverage. “There is always something you can get better at”, Smith said following practice Friday, “but I think I was getting to the point where I could be unstoppable”. After a disappointing rookie season, Smith was eager to get back on the field and prove exactly why the Eagles drafted him in the first round. “He was really taking some growth steps and coming along, and now he’s got a setback”.
“It ain’t like I’m stiff”, Curry said. “It’s going to be a little bit”. “I think it’s just something unfortunate that happened”. He was originally competing with Travis Long for that job until Long tore his ACL just a few days into training camp.
But the most intriguing option might be Vinny Curry, a defensive lineman who was used mostly as a pass-rush specialist during the last two seasons in Davis’ defense.
Vinny Curry at Eagles practice.
“We’ll accelerate Vinny’s move out there now because of the depth”, he said. “I think that’s where we’re at”. “Three weeks is probably the most”, said Smith, per Berman. “It’s a process. The more reps we give them the better we’ll get at it. Vinny is bright-eyed, very excited about the project, and he’s diving into it and attacking it. So he’ll probably get it quicker”. On Thursday, Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Wolff was seeing a doctor about his troublesome knee. He appeared in line for a key role as the third outside linebacker, which is the spot Brandon Graham filled last season. He has half a sack. “Next man up. You’ve got to be prepared and ready to go”. Make sure to join us this evening at 5 PM for Inside Training Camp presented by Xfinity as the Voice of the Eagles Merrill Reese joins us in studio for a one-on-one interview… And while a linebacker in the Predator role (where Brandon Graham will be playing the majority of the snaps) doesn’t drop back all that often, it is a necessary skill.
Beyond Bryan Braman, the special teams standout, the dwindling pool of candidates for the third outside linebacker job so capably manned past year by Brandon Graham are Brad Jones, signed to play inside linebacker, and Vinny Curry, the 279-pound defensive end.
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When talking about Smith’s progression last week, Davis commented about how playing both inside and outside linebacker – Davis still believes Smith’s a true OLB – can help a player become more aware of the defense’s overall scheme.
