Clicking "Restart" in the NFL

Aaron Curry's trade to the Oakland Raiders should not come as a surprise. However as the 4th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, it's clear that he was a bust in Seattle. At nothing short of a steal, all the Raiders gave up was a seventh round pick in 2012 and a conditional pick (5th round) in 2013.

Not bad value, huh?

Curry has the athletic ability to be a star in Oakland, but his pass coverage is rather suspect. A possibility for Curry is to move down to the defensive line on third down to provide a speed rush on the outside. The Raiders also have Kamerion Wimbley to do the same thing; two oversized linebackers with superior athleticism to around the tackle and at the quarterback.

In reality, though, he will probably have limited playing time the first few weeks he is in Oakland. He will then be progressively worked in more and more as he gets comfortable with the schemes Oakland runs. Not every player "gets it" immediately, and Curry could be one of the late-bloomers to develop into a star. Cameron Wake was the same way, albeit he was in the CFL before joining the Dolphins.

I see Aaron as a 3-4 inside linebacker that is primarily in to stop the run. His pass coverage issues were very apparent, so disguising these as much as possible is the way to go for now.

We have to remember that Curry is still a very young player who's atheticism fits perfectly with the Raider way. However, coaching changes have proven to be regular in Oakland. When they find the right person, then Curry can thrive under a stable system.

Many players have had lackluster beginnings to their career, take London Fletcher for example. This is a guy whose career has taken off ever since he turned 30, and now he is the cornerstone to a Redskins defense that is very good. Were it not for a lack of a quarterback, one could argue that Washington could have been a playoff contender. Scott Fujita has also proven to be a solid linebacker despite a rocky start.

There's plenty of time for this kid to become a man, they just have to let him grow and everything will be fine. When he figures it out, he'll be a dominant force in the NFL.