Tag: kamren curl

Breakdown of Kamren Curl’s contract show what a huge bargain it is for the Rams

Kamren Curl’s 2-year deal with the Rams looks like an even bigger bargain after the full details were released

The Los Angeles Rams have done a great job navigating free agency and using their available cap space to improve a young roster that went to the playoffs last season. They did pay a hefty amount for Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson, but they also got a steal with Kamren Curl’s two-year deal.

The full details of Curl’s contract have finally been released and they show just how big a bargain it is for the Rams. According to Over The Cap, Curl has cap hits of only $4.24 million and $4.75 million in the next two years, with just $6 million fully guaranteed at signing.

The base value is worth only $9 million, which is less than the $11.5 million annual salary Pro Football Focus projected Curl would get in free agency this year. PFF set his contract projection at four years and $46 million, so Los Angeles got a steal with this contract.

If things don’t work out in Year 1, the Rams can easily move on before the 2025 season. Cutting Curl would give them a net savings of $2.75 million after a $2 million dead cap charge.

According to initial reports, the contract is worth up to $13 million but it’s unclear what the incentives are that could get him to that max value.

With Curl’s contract now on the books, the Rams have $16.7 million in cap space. That’s without Jimmy Garoppolo and Larrell Murchison’s contracts accounted for, however.

Kamren Curl named one of the most underrated free-agent signings

The Rams’ addition of Kamren Curl was named one of the most underrated signings of free agency thus far

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.

Grading Rams’ signing of Kamren Curl: LA looks to have gotten a steal

Needing safety help, the Rams landed Kamren Curl in free agency, who could end up being a steal for LA

Safety was high up on the Los Angeles Rams’ list of needs this offseason with both Jordan Fuller and John Johnson III hitting free agency. It’s not often a position that they prioritize, but they made a big move in the secondary on Thursday night by signing Kamren Curl to a two-year deal worth up to $13 million.

It’s not a huge contract by any means, but the Rams still managed to land one of the top safeties on the market – and a player who’s only 25 years old. At $6.5 million per year, which is the max Curl can earn, it makes him the 24th-highest-paid safety in the league.

That’s the type of value the Rams are getting with Curl.

Pro Football Focus projected him to get much more than he did in free agency. PFF’s projection was a four-year deal worth $11.5 million per year for a total value of $46 million with $26 million guaranteed. We don’t yet have the exact numbers on guaranteed money, but Curl’s base value is half of PFF’s projected guarantee for the young safety.

Talk about a bargain.

Obviously, none of this matters if Curl doesn’t perform or play well with the Rams. He’ll only be a bargain or steal if he becomes a valuable starter for the next two seasons. There’s a good chance that happens, though.

In four seasons since coming into the NFL as a seventh-round pick in 2020, he’s never had a PFF grade lower than 66.6. He’s excellent in run defense as a box safety, which is how the Rams are expected to deploy their new defensive back. He earned a run defense grade of 80.5 in 2022, which ranked seventh among qualified safeties. Better yet, his coverage grade of 80.8 was the fifth-best among all safeties, allowing just 312 yards and two touchdowns in coverage.

Curl isn’t a true centerfield safety, but rather someone who can play split coverages in two-high looks, hang over the middle of the field as a robber, line up in the box as a run defender or match up with a tight end in man coverage.

The Rams still probably want a true free safety who can cover the post and take away throws in the middle of the field, but the addition of Curl is an excellent one. He’s an immediate starter in the secondary and likely an upgrade over Johnson as the strong safety closer to the line of scrimmage.

He does need to clean up the missed tackles because he did have 14 of them last season, but he had just 11 total in 2021 and 2022 combined.

This could end up being a home run signing by Los Angeles, given the value and its need at safety. Curl is still only 25 years old and already has four years of experience, and he now joins a defense that has gotten the most out of players such as Fuller, Johnson, Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott.

If he can create more turnovers (only three career interceptions), he could become one of the best young safeties in football.

Grade: A-

Could free agent S Kamren Curl be Adrian Amos 2.0 for Packers?

Kamren Curl could prove to be an Adrian Amos-like signing for the Packers this year.

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?

Available free agent safeties for the Broncos in 2024

Here is a list of 15 free agent safeties the Broncos should consider this offseason.

After listing notable free-agent defensive linemen yesterday, we’re looking at free-agent safety options for the Denver Broncos today.

Justin Simmons is one of the best safeties in the league, but his former partner, Kareem Jackson, is no longer on the team. Caden Sterns might be a candidate to start across from Simmons in 2024, but Sterns has missed 28 games due to injury over the last two seasons.

In case Sterns is not able to stay on the field, Denver needs another starting-caliber safety on the roster.

One big name to keep an eye on is C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who drew interest from the Broncos during free agency last year. Denver also has a notable in-house free agent safety in P.J. Locke who is scheduled to hit the open market if the Broncos do not re-sign him before March 13.

So, with free agency about a week away, here’s a quick list of 15 free-agent safeties that Denver should consider signing this spring.

1 pending free agent the Ravens could target from each AFC team

We’re looking at one pending free agent from each AFC team that the Baltimore Ravens could target

Free agency is about two weeks away, and the Baltimore Ravens have several players set to hit the open market. General manager Eric DeCosta has to make crucial decisions to fill roster holes.

While DeCosta will likely look to the free agent market for answers, several in-house free agents are candidates to sign an extension ahead of free agency.

But there are also many of them, including some of Baltimore’s higher-profile free agents, likely on the way out.

With the NFL combine set to wrap up and the new league year just eight days away, we’re looking at one pending free agent the Ravens could target from each AFC club.

1 pending free agent the Colts could target from each NFC team

Taking a look at one pending free agent for the Colts from each NFC team.

With free agency right around the corner, the Indianapolis Colts have the chance to make some key additions to a roster that already has some promise.

Working with some of the most salary-cap space in the NFL this offseason, general manager Chris Ballard and the front office can continue to add pieces to the defensive side of the ball while improving the supporting cast for quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Re-signing some of their own players like Michael Pittman Jr., Grover Stewart and Kenny Moore II will be key. But they also could look around the conference to bring in some outside talent.

We know Ballard isn’t one to make huge splashes in free agency, but they are still going to be an active team even if it means simply adding depth.

Here’s a look at one pending free agent from each NFC team that should interest the Colts:

ESPN names Jets best team fit for pending free agent safety Kamren Curl

ESPN names Jets best team fit for pending free agent safety Kamren Curl

The Jets will be looking for a safety to pair with Tony Adams this offseason. Chuck Clark (coming off a torn ACL) and Jordan Whitehead are both pending free agents — Whitehead’s contract was voided this week, setting him up to become a free agent in March.

Who could fill that void in 2024 for the Jets? Matt Bowen of ESPN has an idea. He recently took his top 50 pending free agents and picked the best team fit for each one. One player was paired with the Jets, and that was safety Kamren Curl of the Washington Commanders.

Curl, who turns 25 in March, quickly became a mainstay in the Washington defense after being selected in the seventh round in the 2020 NFL draft out of Arkansas. He has played in at least 16 games in three of his four seasons and has recorded at least 80 tackles in every season, including a career-high 115 in 2023.

Here’s what Bowen wrote about Curl:

Curl is a highly instinctive safety who can roll into the front or drive top-down from split-field alignments — traits that work well in Robert Saleh’s system. While I would like to see Curl create more on-the-ball production — he hasn’t had an interception for the Commanders since grabbing three in his 2020 rookie season — he’s a solid pro who could produce in the Jets’ defined coverages.

As Bowen notes, one thing you’d like to see if Curl comes to the Jets is more interceptions. He had three in his rookie season in 2020 but none in the last three seasons. He did force and recover a fumble in 2023 and also has at least one sack in every season, so defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich could get creative with Curl.

Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent safeties

The 2024 offseason’s top 12 free-agent safeties

The Carolina Panthers probably won’t be hunting down some of the best safeties on the open market this offseason. Heck, they’re likely to depart with a pretty decent-sized name of their own.

Nonetheless, let’s wrap these rankings up and give you the top 12 safeties of free agency.

2024 NFL free agency: 15 Early potential targets for the Ravens

We’re looking at 15 early 2024 NFL free agents that the Baltimore Ravens could potentially target

We’re less than a month away from NFL free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. But the legal tampering window opens two days before that on March 11 at noon ET, where teams can negotiate with free agents before the official start of the new league year.

The 2024 salary cap hasn’t been set yet, but it’s expected to land north of $240 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

The Ravens are among several NFL teams that have some work to do over the next month to rebuild their roster, and they’ll work to free up cash with two All-Pros set to hit free agency.