While you slept, Rams add FA who has proven to be a thorn in biggest rivals side

The LA Rams finally broke their losing streak to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season. Now, the Rams are seeking to turn the tables and start a winning streak of their own. And things are about to get very interesting indeed.

You see, the LA Rams have turned their attention from addressing their offensive line to addressing their secondary, and the team needed to add a player to compensate for the expired contracts of both defensive back Jordan Fuller and defensive back John Johnson III.

Some expected the Rams front office to swing for the fences. But even though they may have done exactly that, it's a safe bet that few, if any, fans expected the Rams to sign this free-agent safety. But now that they appear to have reached an agreement to do exactly that, the more I learn about former Washington Commanders safety Kamren Curl, the more I like what I am discovering. Let's see if you might feel the same after you read up on him, eh?

Let's ease into this by giving you some of his basics. He is a 6-foot-2, 198-pound defensive back who was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the seventh-round of the 20202 NFL Draft. Since his arrival to the Commanders secondary, he has been a consistent contributor. Of 66 possible games, he has suited up for 60 games, and started 53 of them. But what has he done for the Commanders once he has stepped onto the football field?

Well, Pro Football Focus has certainly liked what they have seen from him. PFF has graded him over the past four seasons, never giving him anything lower than 66.6, his 2023 grade. But they graded him at 82.9 in 2022, a score that often designates a player as one of the best at their position.

Pro Football Focus was not done praising Curl.

What will you like about this Rams free agent signing?

1. Kamren Curl is a PFF NFL star
2. Kamren Curl can beat the 49ers at their own game
3. What's behind the Karen Curl curtain?

Kamren Curl is a PFF NFL star

Let's turn to Kamren Curl's list of achievements. Well, some of his highlights at least. He was honored with the highest PFF grade among defenders who were 25 years of age or less. While the honor is pretty spectacular on its own merits, it becomes even more impressive when you realize that he won the honor over Las Vegas Raiders OLB Maxx Crosby (90.6), Dallas Cowboys OLB Micah Parsons (90.5), Jack Jones (90.4) and Tennessee Titans defensive end Jeffery Simmons (90.0)

The Rams got one of the NFL's best safeties in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market, at a bargain-basement price. Many viewed Kamren Curl as the Commanders' top free agent this year. So what makes him so special? Well, he combines the size of DB Ahkello Witherspoon, the fierceness and physicality of former Rams DB Nick Scott, the cerebral IQ of DB Jordan Fuller, and the audacity and leadership of DB John Johnson III.

And he is now in Horns.

How did his former coaches describe him? Praises came easy from his coaches. And they were not the typical 'high-motor' garden variety of praises.

"He is a cerebral player. He is very intelligent, and you have to be in order to play multiple positions. We could stick Kam at nickel, we could stick Kam at free. We could stick Kam at strong, we can stick Kam down in the box to play dime."

Commander's DB Coach Chris Harris

Curl was not just good in one role in the Commanders' secondary. He thrived in every role that his team assigned to him. At a time when versatile players can help secondaries disguise their coverages, Kamren Curl is a Swiss Army knife.

What does that mean for the Rams secondary? Well, it certainly makes for the perfect Yin to the other defensive back Darious Williams' Yang. Williams is incredibly adept at playing the football, capable of breaking up passes, creating separation, and staying in a receiver's hip pocket. Now, Curl brtings the ability to play the receiver. He is tall, physical, can deliver bone-jarring tackles, and elevates the physicality of the secondary to an entirely new level.

Kamren Curl can beat the 49ers at their own game

Kamren Curl is a solid safety who has done an incredible job in the Commander's secondary in pass coverage. Pro Football Focus author Nick Aldridge named him their most important player on defense in August 2023, and he's not wrong. Curl is a defensive back who views his role as someone who must contribute in many ways.

I recommend that you check out Aldridge's article. Not only does he give an outstanding analysis as to why Curl is so effective, but he has embedded multiple Tweets (or are they X's?) with solid NFL video footage that details exactly which points he is making. One such video illustrates how incredibly effective Curl was in covering San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. While I would love to share that, I don't have the required NFL licensure to share game footage. But you can check it out and come back. I'll stay here until you do.

Curl is a passionate player who demolished the ball carrier, whether he is a runner trying to gain yards, a receiver trying to make the catch, or a receiver who has made the catch, but is trying to sneak in some yards after the catch. Curl is having none of that.

Curl was listed as the 22nd top free agent in 2024 by PFF's Brad Spielberger. Here is what Spielberger wrote about him:

"(Kamren Curl) has quietly been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past several seasons, with his status as a seventh-rounder and his name getting lost in the shuffle on a defense that, up until this year’s trade deadline, was riddled with first-round talent.

Curl can line up anywhere and is as consistent as safeties come on a down-to-down basis, possessing good instincts and a clear understanding of how to manipulate leverage and angles in the open field."

PFF's Brad Spielberger

So why didn't the Commanders re-sign him? Well, it was not for a lack of lobbying by Commanders' websites. Fansided's own Washington Commanders site, Riggo's Rag, was all in favor of bringing him back. They did point out that Spotrac had projected Curl's next contract to be huge.

"Spotrac projects the Arkansas product to generate an annual salary of $15.3 million on a four-year, $61.55 million deal. This would place him at No. 6 in the highest-paid strong safeties league-wide."

Riggo's Rag Dean Jones

The LA Rams have reported agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $13 million. That's two seasons at a price of less than one year's projected salaries.

Wow. Talk about a steal?

What's behind the Karen Curl curtain?

The Rams pulled off quite the coup in the night. And as is often the case, they stole my thunder. I had planned to write a comprehensive list of the top safeties still available in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market, much like my article about 3 big-name quarterbacks. But, to be honest, I'm not certain that Kamren Curl would have made that list.

I know that Nick Scott, Jordan Fuller, and of course John Johnson III would have made the list. But Curl's performance seem to place him out of the Rams' price range. Well, I was clearly wrong, and I'm glad that I was. Curl is a player who has earned respect throughout the NFL. And now, he gets to compete for a team that is in the hunt for a Super Bowl rint:

In 2023, Kamren Curl played 1089 defensive snaps for the Washington Commanders. Over the season, he recorded 115 tackles, three tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, one quarterback sack, he forced a fumble and he recovered a fumble. He even broke up five passes. From a safety position, he only allowed 69.3 percent of passes aimed his way to find their mark.

Even as good as Curl has been, he has even more upside. The Commanders loved what he brought to their secondary. But this team has a new GM Adam Peters, and new HC Dan Quinn, and they appear to be putting their own thumbprint on the roster, and in the defense.

Curl is just a great teammate. He is not flashy. He is not a guy who runs to the spotlight. He simply has a great nose for the football. He is always around the ball, and he makes his presence known to opposing players. The LA Rams need a fundamentally sound defensive back who can manage whatever offenses throw at the secondary.

I love this signing. He is a #DAWG. Now he is about to become a Rams defensive back.