Aaron Donald’s retirement grabbed the bulk of the headlines on Friday, and understandably so. He’s one of the best NFL players ever and his announcement came as a surprise to most.
About 12 hours before Donald shared his retirement news, the Los Angeles Rams agreed to a two-year deal with safety Kamren Curl, one of the top defensive backs still on the market. Because of the timing and Curl’s lack of recognition around the NFL, the move probably didn’t get the attention it should have, but this was a terrific signing by Los Angeles.
Most analysts love this addition to the Rams secondary, including Dan Pizzuta of The 33rd Team. He listed Curl as one of the most underrated signings of free agency thus far, calling the former Commanders DB “one of the league’s most underrated players.”
The Los Angeles Rams have been a defense built around disguise throughout the different defensive coordinators during the Sean McVay era. Last season, they had the third-lowest rate of static looks in the league.
A player such as Curl will only help that given how many spots he can play at before and after the snap. He’s an effective blitzer, a strong run defender and can hold up in coverage. In Washington, especially in 2023, he was responsible for cleaning up some messes in front of him, which took away some of his overall impact.
Part of the reason Curl flies under the radar is his lack of turnovers created. He has just three career interceptions and all of those came as a rookie in 2020. He also hasn’t forced a fumble and has just 14 passes defensed.
However, he’s a fantastic box safety who can play the role of dime linebacker thanks to his physicality and aggression as a run defender. The Rams will likely deploy him all over the defense, from covering the deep half to lining up in the box, which will make him a valuable part of the defense.
And at only $9 million for two years ($13 million max), it’s a bargain of a contract for a player who’s only 25 years old.