Three days ago Aaron Curry was a backup strongside linebacker in Seattle. Now he’s preparing to start at the weak side for the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
Curry’s prospects took a sudden turn Friday when coach Hue Jackson announced that the first-round pick in the 2009 draft will replace Quentin Groves in the Raiders’ starting defense at home against the Cleveland Browns. Groves has been a starter since signing with Oakland before last season.
Talk about a whirlwind week.
“It’s been very eventful, very exciting,” Curry said after donning a Raiders T-shirt. “Just to know that Coach has faith in me that I can come in and play right away is a great confidence-booster for me, just to know that he believes in me.”
Not many people in the Pacific Northwest had faith in Curry anymore. The No. 4 overall pick two years ago went from a can’t miss prospect to a bench player in Seattle before the trade with Oakland was completed Thursday.
Although he seemed to play well enough against the run, Curry struggled in pass coverage and couldn’t get fully comfortable in the Seahawks’ system.
Jackson told Curry to leave his problems in the past.
“I don’t get into what all happened wherever he was,” Jackson said. “I brought him here for a reason and he’s going to play. I didn’t bring him here to look at him to figure it out or anything like that.
“He’s the starting (weakside linebacker) on this football team, period.”
HGH DEAL? NOT YET
Two congressman emerged from an hour-long meeting with the NFL and players union and announced a deal to begin blood-testing players for human growth hormone. Minutes later, union officials would commit only to testing when a fair and safe system is in place – what they’ve been saying all along.
After Friday’s high-profile mix of sports and politics, HGH testing in pro football didn’t seem closer to reality.
“We’re not guaranteeing any outcomes except there was an agreement to begin testing immediately,” Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, told reporters after the meeting. “The other aspects of what you do with the tests will be resolved over the next many weeks, and we’ve agreed on a bipartisan basis to have the committee play a role if necessary” to bring the sides together again.
But the NFL Players Association didn’t seem inclined to move off its previous position: That it wants questions answered before moving ahead with a blood-testing program.
EXTRA POINTS
Bears defensive end Julius Peppers is doubtful against the Vikings because of a sprained left knee and did not practice at all this week. … Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga is expected to return against the Rams after missing two games with a knee injury. … Texans defensive end Mario Williams had surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. He is out for the season. … The NFL fined Ravens running back Ray Rice $7,500 for grabbing the facemask of Rams cornerback Bradley Fletcher. … Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall (knee) is listed as questionable for against the Eagles. … Steelers rookie tackle Marcus Gilbert is out against the Jaguars. Jacksonville will have linebacker Daryl Smith and defensive end Aaron Kampman in the lineup. … Bills starting outside linebacker Shawne Merriman will likely be out against the Giants because of an Achilles’ tendon injury.
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