The Green Bay Packers need a starting safety entering free agency. The same was true back in 2019, when general manager Brian Gutekunst — who would go on a spending spree that March — signed veteran Adrian Amos away from the Chicago Bears. Amos went on to give the Packers four strong seasons as a plus starter at the backend of the defense.
Could Kamren Curl of the Washington Commanders be Gutekunst’s Amos 2.0 in 2024?
The profiles are undeniably similar.
Amos was a Day 3 pick (fifth round) in 2015. Curl was a Day 3 pick (seventh round) in 2020. And like Amos, Curl has proven to be a reliable and consistent player against the run and pass for four seasons before entering free agency as an underrated player at an overlooked position.
According to PFF, Curl has averaged over 30 “stops” a season during his first four seasons. A stop is considered any tackle that constitutes an offensive failure. For instance, if a player makes a catch for three yards on 3rd-and-4, it’s deemed a failure for the offense, and the defender making the tackle gets a “stop.” Curl is a solid tackler overall, with a missed tackle percentage of just 9.8. Amos’ career missed tackle percentage is 9.2. Anything around a 90 percent tackle success rate is considered strong at safety.
Curl has just three career interceptions and one forced fumble, but splash plays weren’t a big part of Amos’ game until he arrived in Green Bay.
Being in the right spot and doing the right things consistently can sometimes be more valuable than the occasional big play. That’s Curl’s game. And eventually, the splash plays arrive for players consistently in the right spots, as was the case for Amos.
Curl has experience playing free safety but is probably best used in a strong safety role. Teaming him with a speedy and rangy free safety type — like Gutekunst did with Amos and Darnell Savage in 2019 — could provide the ideal mix as the Packers rebuild the safety room in 2024.
Curl isn’t yet 25 years old and looks like an ascending player. The safety market is flooded with veterans, which should drive down the prices for everyone, even at the top of the market. The Packers look destined to be in the market for a safety in free agency and may target a few of the big fish available.
Could signing Curl help the Packers solve big problems at safety like adding Amos helped do in 2019?