The Rams went on to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round before ultimately falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round, but there is no doubt Los Angeles made plenty of noise.
Why were the Rams so effective down the stretch?
Well, part of the reason was that they got healthy, but another factor was their rising defense, which is chock full of young talent at every level.
One of their top players is safety Kamren Curl, who Los Angeles signed to a two-year deal in free agency last offseason.
In a piece where Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus listed off every team’s best and worst free-agent addition from 2024, he had Curl placed in the former category.
“Curl brought a solid veteran presence to an incredibly young defense,” Wasserman wrote. “His 68.4 overall grade aligns with his career norms, and he broke up a career-high six passes this season. Curl should continue to provide similar production for the Rams next season.”
Even though Curl is a veteran, so to speak, he is just 25 years old, so he has plenty of room to grow.
He played in 16 games this past season, registering 79 tackles, a sack, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and nine passes defended.
Curl was one piece of the Rams’ tremendous safety quartet that also included Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough.
Due to the depth at the position, you have to wonder how much time Curl has left in Los Angeles.
But based on the way the University of Arkansas product played in 2024, it’s entirely possible that the Rams will keep him around for the long haul.
Curl was originally selected by the Washington Commanders in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Oddly enough, he recorded three interceptions during his rookie campaign, but hasn’t logged a single pick since.
Regardless, Curl’s impact clearly goes beyond the stat sheet.