The Rams' Defender Poised to Break Out in 2026

"I think that was an unbelievable move just because of the force that he is with our defense and what he brings to our defense mentality as a whole".

"Then, Q-Lake (Quentin Lake) with Kamren Kinchens back there and bringing back E-Man (Emmanuel Forbes), I can't wait to get after it (this season). There's so much potential with this team, it's going to be unbelievable".

Why Curl Matters

During his end-of-year presser, when talking about looming free agent defensive backs, Rams head coach Sean McVay went out of his way to name Curl as a top free agent.

“We're working through that. There are a lot of layers to that, especially at the corner spot. [Safety] Kam Curl is a big free agent for us. We love him. When you really look at it, those are things that are going be important for us to be able to address, whether that's re-signing our own or being able to find the different avenues. There are a couple different ones, whether you're talking about draft trade or free agency."

"Based on when those things occur and being able to prioritize and then being able to attack has been a good challenge for us to figure out how to put together the most competitive roster. That's a spot that has deserved a lot of attention because of the contract situations and the different ways that we might lose guys, bring them back or onboard through the other avenues that I mentioned.”

Unlike last season, when the Rams didn't add any new players to the secondary, Curl was the only defensive back retained this offseason with an expiring deal. Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick both went to the Dallas Cowboys, Darious Williams ended up retiring, and Ahkello Witherspoon remains a free agent.

Curl plays every snap, should have been a Pro Bowler, and saved the Rams' season by intercepting Caleb Williams in the NFC Divisional Round. With Curl back in the fold, he'll likely play the centerfield role with McDuffie and Watson controlling the outside, allowing more resources to be deployed in the box.

More defenders playing closer to the line of scrimmage equals more opportunities for Fiske and company to cause chaos. At the heart of their operation sits Curl, and thus he's set for a big year.