Getty Images The Green Bay Packers could add a top defender without breaking the bank in free agency.
Rebuilding the secondary is a top priority for the Green Bay Packers as free agency looms, especially following the arrival of new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Hafley’s system is predicated on strong play in coverage from the secondary. However, as the new league year looms on March 13, both of the Packers’ starting safeties from the 2023 campaign are set to become unrestricted free agents.
Ahead of the market opening, Pro Football Focus lists Washington Commanders safety Kamren Curl as the Packers’ best fit, in a signing that would be ripped straight from Green Bay’s long-running free agency playbook.
“The Packers need to do something at safety,” Brad Spielberger points out. “And here we like the idea of them buying low on a player who is good at everything but perhaps not great at any one particular thing. Sound familiar? There are shades of the Adrian Amos signing by Green Bay in free agency a few years back, a move that turned out quite well.”
If the Packers are able to replicate the success, with Curl, that the franchise saw upon Amos’ arrival, it would be a big step towards building out a defense capable of being a worthy complement to ascending quarterback Jordan Love and the offense.
How Kamren Curl Fits the Packers
Even if the Packers wind up prioritizing selecting a safety in the early rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, Curl could be the veteran who anchors the position group.
Kurl, 24, likely has his best football in front of him but would arrive in Green Bay on the heels of a standout 2023 campaign that saw him post 115 total tackles with one sack, five breakups, and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Moreover, because it remains to be seen how much blitzing Hafley dials up in his first season as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Kurl is plenty capable of holding his own even if the front seven doesn’t send extra heat.
Pro Football Focus points out that Curl produced an elite 80.6 coverage grade on targets where Washington didn’t send extra pressure, and his 8 percent forced incompletion rate was among the highest in the NFL.
Since being chosen by Washington in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Curl has outplayed his draft position. Through his first 60 career games, Curl has logged 385 total tackles with five sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.
Can the Packers Afford to Sign Curl?
Fortunately for general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers, a player like Curl isn’t expected to break the bank.
With free agency rapidly approaching, the Packers currently are projected to have approximately $13.68 million in cap space, to buttress a young and exciting roster that surpassed expectations by making the playoffs and knocking off the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional round.
While Curl is likely a notch below top safeties such as recently released veterans Justin Simmons and Jordan Poyer, he still has plenty of upside.
Spotrac projects Curl could fetch a four-year deal worth $57.7 million, which averages out to $14.4 million, annually. That contract would make Curl the fifth-highest-paid strong safety in the NFL.
Given the Packers’ need at safety, as well as Green Bay’s spending flexibility under the cap, Curl is a player to watch in the coming weeks.