Tag: kamren curl

5 takeaways from Washington’s 23-20 loss to New York Giants

Washington showed some bright spots on Sunday, but for the most part, it was a frustrating loss that has them going back to the drawing board.

The score may have been different, but this game was pretty similar to the one that was played between Washington and the New York Giants met in Week 6 of the season. Then, the Giants controlled much of the game, and a late comeback attempt from Washington was thwarted by a missed two-point conversion that left the final 20-19, NYG.

This time around, Washington fell behind big early, trailing 20-3 at the half. Credit to the Burgundy & Gold, they mounted a comeback in the second half and eventually made it a 23-20 game in the final frame, but back-to-back interceptions from Alex Smith sealed the deal and let the Giants complete their season-sweep over Washington.

There were a few bright spots, but for the most part, it was a frustrating game, to say the least. Here are our biggest takeaways from the action.

‘Doing things the right way:’ Rivera explains decision to go with Reaves over Reid at safety

Rivera said that his decision to go with Reaves and Curl over Eric Reid at safety was due to the respect they earned during training camp.

When it was announced last week that free agent safety Eric Reid would be turning down a spot on the Washington practice squad following the season-ending injury to Landon Collins, a bunch of us were left scratching our heads. It almost made too much sense for Reid to join his former coach Ron Rivera in Washington and start his NFL career back up in a defensive system that he is familiar with, so why did he turn the opportunity down.

Well, he turned it down because the offer was to join the practice squad and work his way up to the active roster, when Reid felt he was already in shape to join the active roster. For Rivera, who explained the situation on Monday, his decision to hold the starting spot at a distance from Reid is due to the respect that he gained for both Kamren Curl and Jeremy Reaves in training camp, and something that he feels he owes to them.

“I’m one of those guys that if you come to training camp, you work your butt off, you do everything that you’re supposed to do, you deserve that opportunity before anybody else,” Rivera said. “And that kind of what I was doing with Jeremy [Reaves]. I think he earned that right here and my respect, as far as going through camp, not complaining and doing things the right way. So I wanted to give him a chance to be part of the 53 and see where he is.”

Going forward, it will be on Curl and Reaves to shore up the safety position, with the belief that Deshazor Everett can continue to hold things down at free safety. No matter how badly you wanted Reid to come in and improve the secondary, you have to respect Rivera’s reasoning for why he’s choosing to go with the young guys.

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Grading the rookies in Washington at the halfway point of the 2020 season

With half of their rookie season behind them, we handed out grades to the young players in Washington who are starting out their careers.

With seven weeks of the 2020 season in the rearview mirror, it feels like a good time to take stock of the season and reflect on what we’ve seen thus far. For the Washington Football Team, things started out with a bang after a thrilling comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, but it’s been a frustrating watch ever since, minus the blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys last weekend.

Fortunately for Washington, the young players on the team have been performing pretty well for the most part, and it seems to be yet another successful draft class that was put together in 2020. Here are our grades for the rookies class so far this season.

Report: Eric Reid would have likely accepted place on Washington’s active roster

Reid turned down a spot on Washington’s practice squad, but a report shows that he likely would have accepted a place on the active roster.

Rather surprising news came out on Tuesday afternoon when it was reported that free-agent safety Eric Reid declined to accept a spot on the Washington Football Team practice squad after being offered.

Washington, who is looking to replace Pro-Bowl safety Landon Collins, who was sent to the injured reserve with an Achilles injury, offered the practice squad spot to Reid hoping that he would be able to come in and help out the team, eventually playing his way up to the active roster.

According to a report from ESPN’s John Keim, Reid says that he is above a role on the practice squad, and his decision likely would have been different had Washington offered him a role on the active roster.

“I just don’t think playing on the practice squad is reflective or indicative of my career,” Reid said, via ESPN. “I’m just not in a place to play on the practice squad right now. If they go a different direction, I’ll be ready.”

According to Keim, Washington made it clear to Reid that they are hoping to give rookie S Kamren Curl a chance to start at the position after he has had a solid start to his career playing sparingly in the secondary. With Collins now out, it will be Curl’s role going forward, assuming that they don’t sign anyone else.

Reid is a 28-year-old safety who played for two years with Ron Rivera in Carolina with the Panthers, and he set two defensive franchise records with the team last season.

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Giants must be wary of Washington’s talented rookies

While the New York Giants’ rookies have struggled, that has not been the case for the Washington Football Team’s dominant draft class.

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The Washington Football Team came away from the table in this year’s NFL Draft with a couple of gems according to the experts at Pro Football Focus.

Their first and second round picks — defensive end Chase Young (Ohio State) and running back Antonio Gibson (Memphis) — are budding stars who ae off to promising starts to their pro careers.

Gibson leads the team with 213 rushing yards and is also the team’s second-leading receiver behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Gibson has also 15 receptions for 122 yards and has scored three touchdowns, all on the ground.

“The dynamic Gibson showed off his elusiveness once again in Week 5 with three broken tackles on his five catches, securing his standing as the NFL’s highest-graded receiving back over the last two weeks,” PFF’s Anthony Treash writes. “Overall on the year, Gibson has averaged 10.6 yards after the catch, the second-best among 34 qualifying backs.”

Young was a coveted player coming out of OSU and Washington grabbed him with the second-overall pick in April. He has 10 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in four games this season.

“Young was as advertised before a groin injury slowed him, racking up eight pressures through two games before getting hurt early on in Week 3.” PFF’s Michael Renner wrote. “He’s also collected six stops in the run game and looks like the complete all-around edge defender the Football Team needed.”

Another rookie who is opening some eyes is safety Kamren Curl, a seventh round pick out of Arkansas who made the team in camp and has become a starter.

“Kamren Curl is a guy that really has exceeded expectations. It’s one of those things that this is a guy that not having the workouts I think is why he slipped and was where he was when we drafted him,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “I think if he’d had the workouts, I think people would’ve seen a little bit more into him and he would’ve been drafted higher. So, he’s a guy that we’re very fortunate to have on the football team.”

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What’s the deal with Fabian Moreau, and why isn’t he playing anymore?

Fabian Moreau played zero defensive snaps on Sunday, and he’s seemingly been removed from a nickel package where he was expected to thrive.

After the Washington game each and every week, we take a look at the extended statistics report and see if we can glean any information from some of the numbers deeper than the box score.

One of the main sources of information comes from the snap count, where you can see how often a player was really on the field, and whether he was trusted to have an impact or not.

This wee after a 31-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, one of the most staggering figures was the number zero — that’s how man defensive snaps CB Fabian Moreau took in the entire game. He was one the field for 14 snaps in all, which came from special teams work, but it seems that his spot in the cornerback rotation has been completely diminished as of late. Even Jimmy Moreland played 9 snaps on defense, breaking the rotation a bit.

So what explains this number? It actually comes from the desired outcome, where both Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby have been solid enough to stay on the field for the entire game. Fuller received 100% of defensive snaps, coming up with two big interceptions, and Darby clocked in with 98% of snaps.

While it was figured that those two would get the bulk of the load before the season, many thought that Washington would turn towards Moreau to play a big part in the nickel package, where he would fill in as a third cornerback, replacing a linebacker and covering the slot. In his place, it’s been rookie Kamren Curl who has shoulder a good amount of this load over the past week or two, and he’s excelled in that position.

So is it blouses for Moreau? We won’t call it that just yet, but his place in the defense is absolutely something that we will keep an eye on going forward.

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3 Washington rookies provide hope for future success after 34-20 loss to Cleveland

Several young players stepped up on Sunday, but three rookies in Washington really showed that they have a place in the NFL going forward.

We just love to focus on the negatives, don’t we? I fall subjective to it as well, so don’t for a second think that I’m getting on my soapbox here and shaming everyone for being down in the dumps about the quarterback situation in Washington.

Dwayne Haskins had a tough day on Sunday, and it brought the mood of the entire team down. We’ve already delved deep into the Haskins narrative, wondering if and when he will be benched — don’t hold your breath — and what that means for the outlook of the season. However, we’re doing a disservice to the rest of the team if we only focus on the negatives and don’t give props where they are deserved.

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On Sunday, it was the rookie class in Washington who deserved a lot of credit, with three players stepping onto the big stage and at least proving that they belong there.

Antonio Gibson, Isaiah Wright, and Kamren Curl can walk away from that game with their heads held high.

Gibson finished the day as the leading rusher for Washington, which, although it was only 49 total yards and a touchdown, still gave him another step forward in the RB1 battle in Washington.

Wright shined in his NFL debut, catching four passes for 24 yards on six targets, which was tied for the second-most on the team. He also had a huge flay in the first quarter when he salvaged a touchdown drive by playing elite defense on CB Denzel Ward, who was trying to come down with an interception.

Curl flew a bit under the radar, only coming away with two total tackles, but his presence on the defense went far beyond the box score, and he was routinely flying around in the secondary and coming up with big plays. His coaches were singing his praises after the game.

It all ended in a loss, yes. However, if we’re being realistic, that’s going to happen more often than not in the 2020 season for Washington. What’s important is that we find these performances to celebrate, and hold onto the hope that Washington has a bunch of young guys on the roster who can turn into real pieces down the road. We got just that on Sunday, and we’re here to give the rookies all of the credit that they deserve.

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Washington Week 2 snap counts: Antonio Gibson leads the way for RBs

Antonio Gibson and Kamren Curl are two rookies who are getting a lot more playing time, which could mean big things for Washington.

It wasn’t quite the game that we were hoping to see from Washington on Sunday afternoon in a 30-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but the outcome probably more accurately presents who this team is, rather than the massive comeback victory we saw a week ago against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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We saw a few good things on the field, and unfortunately a lot of bad. However, our eyes never tell the full story, and we often need to dive into the stat book afterward and figure out what went right, and what went wrong. Let’s break down both sides of the ball, starting with the offense.

Washington Offensive Snap Counts

The only thing that kept the starting offensive line from playing 100 percent of snaps was Brandon Scherff’s injury, which came just before the half. Outside of him, though, the front line was consistent, and they played decently, aside from a few missed blocks on the left side from Geron Christian and Wes Martin.

Here are some major takeaways from those snap counts:

  • Antonio Gibson out-snapped the other RBs by a large margin, receiving 14 more snaps than the next highest, J.D. McKissic.
  • What happened to Peyton Barber? After leading the way in snap counts a week ago, Barber was on the field for just one play during the entire game on Sunday.
  • Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims are clearly the top 2 WRs in Washington, with Dontrelle Inman coming in third.

Washington Defensive Snap Counts

The secondary in Washington is consistently on the field, if not consistently good in coverage. The starting lineup has shown an ability to stay on the field thus far, and things will only get better once Kendall Fuller is cleared to return.

Here are some major takeaways from the defensive snap counts:

  • Kevin Pierre-Louis and Jon Bostic are clearly the top two linebackers in this defense. We’ll see where Cole Holcomb slots in once he returns, but those two are the starting core.
  • What happened to Thomas Davis? He was not listed on the injury report ahead of the game, so we all expected him to make his Washington debut. However, he didn’t play a single snap on the day.
  • The defensive line is still going through a heavy rotation, but Chase Young still leads the way among them all.
  • Rookie FS Kamren Curl is getting more playing time, and he is starting to get more comfortable, as well. Keep an eye on that as the questions about Troy Apke’s ability continue to swirl.

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2020 NFL Draft rankings: Safeties

Not the best year to need a safety but some of these guys could thrive in the right situation

The Cleveland Browns are going to be extremely focused on adding a new offensive tackle to protect Baker Mayfield, but they will also be looking at the safety position long and hard. They currently only have one-year rentals roaming at the back end of the defense. This safety class is one of the worst we have seen in recent years at the top, but there is still some talent that can provide help.

I grade players extremely generous and like to think with an open mind. Most writers only rank 20-25 first round grades and that is probably more indicative of their talent rather than where they are selected. I rank prospects based on the highest I could possibly see them be snagged.

1st Round

1. Grant Delpit, LSU, 6-2, 213 pounds

Delpit possess the ideal instincts for a starting-caliber safety and has the athletic ability and ball skills to capitalize on said instincts. The major concern with Delpit is that his play appeared to plateau in 2019 and the 2018 version was better. Comparing his stats from the past two years is just one piece of evidence to his obvious dip in play.

2. Xavier McKinney, Alabama, 6-0, 201 pounds

McKinney is an extremely versatile defender. He has the necessary range to be effective in coverage and the instincts to be in the right place at the right time as a run defender. The biggest flaw with McKinney’s game is his lack of elite athleticism, which may hurt his abilities as a single-high safety.

2nd Round

3. Ashtyn Davis, California, 6-1, 202 pounds

Davis is the opposite of McKinney, as he is a freak athlete with track star speed that can allow him to thrive in single-high. Davis would have a first-round grade, but he is built thin. He is close to the same size as McKinney, but Davis does not have the same frame and might be maxed out already.

4. Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne, 6-1, 217 pounds

Dugger was an absolute stud during Senior Bowl week where he washed away nearly all doubt that he can hang with the big boys after coming from such a small school. He has shown that his athleticism is rare no matter the level of competition. With all that said, Senior Bowl week was just one week and playing in the Division II ranks is still going to raise some questions.

5. Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota, 5-9, 203 pounds

Winfield can be a starting-caliber free safety in the NFL and like his dad, Antoine Winfield Sr., has elite instincts that allow him to overcome his small stature and play larger than his listed size. With that said, you can’t just ignore his less than ideal size and lengthy injury history. That is the reason he is this far down the list.

6. Terrell Burgess, Utah, 5-11, 202 pounds

Burgess has fantastic athleticism to go with impressive instincts. Those make him the total package at safety able to work wonders in a zone-heavy scheme. He can also stick to receivers in man like few safeties can. Like Winfield, Burgess lacks the ideal size you want starting on the back-end and his frame appears tapped out.

7. Brandon Jones, Texas, 5-11, 198 pounds

Jones is a former High School All-American and lived up to that hype with 30 career starts and despite his listed size, has the body to play strong safety in the NFL with an impressive physique. Jones has a ton of tackles to his name, but he is not the most fearsome tackler and rarely gets a solid hit on anybody with the ball instead electing to bring them down by the ankles.

3rd Round

8. Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois, 6-3, 221 pounds

Like Jones, Chinn is a perfect fit for the strong safety role in the NFL. Despite coming from an FCS program, Chinn showcased his ability to hang with the big boys during Senior Bowl week. He has the type of attitude and personality to win over a front office. The biggest obstacle in Chinn’s way is still the fact that he played against lower competition in college.

9. Julian Blackmon, Utah, 6-0, 187 pounds

Blackmon has some great film, especially when he is tasked with covering the running back. He can be a versatile weapon for any defense as he can play nickel CB at a high level in addition to safety. Blackmon did have an injury during the PAC-12 Championship that warrants deeper investigation and he doesn’t always have flawless footwork in coverage.

10. K’Von Wallace, Clemson, 5-11, 206 pounds

Wallace is a prototypical free safety, but is versatile enough to lineup wherever asked, just like he demonstrated at Clemson. He was truly the unsung hero of that defense with a resume that includes 36 career starts and a school-record 59 career games played. Wallace does lack ideal size though and his frame appears to be maxed out.

11. J.R. Reed, Georgia, 6-1, 202 pounds

Like Wallace, Reed checks many of the boxes you want in a starting free safety, but he also plays with a unique aggressiveness and can impact the game from the box. He maybe the best safety in this class against the run. Despite being a better fit at free, Reed is not the smoothest in coverage and really struggles when tasked with man assignments.

4th Round

12. Geno Stone, Iowa, 5-10, 207 pounds: Has good instincts in coverage, but needs to clean up tackling.

13. Brian Cole II, Miss. St., 6-2, 213 pounds: Intriguing upside as a strong with limited experience as he transferred from Michigan as a wide receiver to East Mississippi Community College then Miss. St.

14. Jordan Fuller, Ohio St., 6-2, 203 pounds: Has solid range, has to play free as he struggles in the box.

15. Josh Metellus, Michigan, 5-11, 209 pounds: Moves where he wants to with great speed, but sometimes goes to wrong spot.

16. Jeremiah Dinson, Auburn, 5-11, 191 pounds: Instincts make him arguably the best in the class in zone, but his lengthy injury history hurts his stock.

5th Round

17. Antoine Brooks Jr., Maryland, 5-11, 220 pounds: Former linebacker still plays like it and is best when moving towards the line of scrimmage, most obvious fit at strong.

18. Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame, 6-0, 205 pounds: Ideal fit with zone reliant team, but is not the smoothest tackler.

19. Alohi Gilman Notre Dame, 5-10, 201 pounds: Former Navy transfer, fairly versatile with athletic limitations. Best game was against Clemson in 2018 and his best fit is at free.

20. Kamren Curl, Arkansas, 6-1, 206 pounds: Starter since freshman season, provides some versatility, but better fit at strong. Fairly low ceiling but decently high floor.

21. Shyheim Carter, Alabama, 5-11, 194 pounds: Versatile with the ability to play nickel, but lacks ideal athleticism.

6th Round

22. David Dowell, Michigan St., 6-0, 199 pounds: 36 consecutive starts and eight career interceptions isn’t too shabby. Solid free fit.

7th Round

23. Myles Dorn, North Carolina, 6-2, 205 pounds: Solid athlete but too often gets lost, best fit is at free.

24. Jared Mayden, Alabama, 6-0, 205 pounds: Didn’t start until senior season. Fairly versatile, best fit is at strong.

25. Levonta Taylor, Florida St. 5-10, 190 pounds: Great athlete with the versatility and experience to play free safety or corner, but has lengthy injury history.

26. Kenny Robinson, St. Louis (XFL), 6-1, 202 pounds: Decided to go the XFL route after West Virginia, best fit is at strong.

27. Jaquarius Landrews, Mississippi St., 6-0, 200 pounds: Had okay week at NFLPA Bowl, could play strong.

28. Khaleke Hudson, Michigan, 5-11, 224 pounds: Great blitzer, too small to play linebacker and too slow to play safety.

29. Reggie Floyd, Virginia Tech, 6-0, 222 pounds: Like Hudson, stuck as a tweener linebacker/safety, obvious fit at strong.

Priority Free Agent:

30. Jaylinn Hawkins, California, 6-1, 208 pounds

31. Douglas Coleman II, Texas Tech, 6-0, 173 pounds

32. Luther Kirk, Illinois St., 6-4, 194 pounds

33. Jalen Julius, Ole Miss, 5-10, 192 pounds

34. D.Q. Thomas, Southern Miss, 5-10, 220 pounds

35. Daniel Thomas, Auburn, 5-10, 215 pounds

36. Xavier Lewis, Southeastern Louisiana, 5-11, 200 pounds

37. Alijah Halliburton, Wyoming, 6-0, 197 pounds

38. Patrick Nelson, SMU, 6-1, 215 pounds

39. Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Montreal, 6-3, 198 pounds

40. Nigel Warrior, Tennessee, 6-0, 192 pounds

 

 

Cardinals land CeeDee Lamb, Ross Blacklock in full mock draft simulation

Check out the results of the latest simulation.

With another week gone by, it is time to see what scenarios could play out in the 2020 NFL Draft. I already outlined the prospects I like most for the Arizona Cardinals, so that was what I used in the latest full mock draft simulation I ran.

Here is who the Cardinals land with their six selections.

Round 1: Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Simmons and Tristan Wirfs were already off the board. Lamb was the easy pick. The Cardinals land a top receiver who already has a relationship with Kyler Murray.

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