Commanders news: Ben Johnson, Kamren Curl, Ron Rivera and uncertainty
By Dean Jones
Commanders cannot afford to lose Kamren Curl
There are some important decisions upcoming for Washington Commanders' general manager Adam Peters. He's currently busy with head coaching interviews, but it won't be long before attention quickly turns to molding a roster capable of contending.
Recruitment in free agency and the draft is a primary focus. Which players are worth keeping around is another looming conundrum. Kamren Curl's future should be among their biggest priorities in that regard.
Curl's performed well enough for a new deal after emerging from a seventh-round afterthought into one of the league's best young safeties. Much will depend on the money involved, but Brad Spielberger from Pro Football Focus named the former Arkansas stud as the one free agent Washington cannot afford to lose this offseason.
"Over the past two seasons, [Kamren] Curl’s 58 defensive stops are the fourth most among safeties. Curl is good at everything but doesn’t have one defining great trait, with very little ball production since his rookie campaign. Furthermore, second-round rookie Jartavius Martin came on at the end of the season and could, in theory, take over the starting job in 2024. Nevertheless, retaining a homegrown seventh-round draft pick who offers an extremely high floor makes sense for a team with the most cap space in the NFL, not that this should ever be the lone motivating factor for a contract."
- Brad Spielberger, PFF
Drafting and rewarding is a model for success around the NFL. The Commanders have more than enough salary-cap space to work out a long-term deal. But with a new regime coming into the organization and no emotional attachment to their decision-making process, nothing could be said with any guarantee.