Commanders 2023 Off-Season Thread

[Chief X_Phackter]

Originally Posted by SunnySide

But what should Curl earn in a new contract?

Coupled with Monday’s news regarding the salary cap increase in 2023, Curl’s new contract should make him among the top five paid safeties in the NFL next season. Currently, Derwin James, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jamal Adams, Harrison Smith and Justin Simmons comprise the top five. James has an average-annual value of $19 million per year, while Simmons comes in at $15.2 million.

There’s no way Curl comes in less than $15 million per season. Regardless, Washington can’t wait this one out. It’s best for everyone if Washington calls Curl to the negotiating table in February and hammers out a new deal.

https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/...l-daron-payne/

I like Curl but dang ...

I hear you...

The reality is, even though the salary cap is going up, I don't think you can pay top five salaries for players at every position group. You have to pick your poison when it comes to resigning players to these lucrative contracts. Not everyone that balls out is going to be retained/paid. You sign who you can based on what you think their value is to the team, and then hope you can continue to find cheaper alternatives either in free agency or the draft for those players you can't afford. Letting Settle and Matty I go and bringing in Ridgeway and Mathis is an example of that likely working out / and letting Fowers and Scherff go and bringing in Turner and Norwell is an example of that not working out.

I don't know if Curl is going to get a top five salary here, but if not, my guess is he will get it somewhere else. It just boils down to the importance of the team being successful in the draft - especially the later rounds which is exactly where we found Curl, and being successful in free agency. I hope we retain Curl, but only if it makes sense with regard to the ability to build out the rest of the roster. If they can't extend him, it was a success - drafting him in the 7th round and getting four years out of him at that salary. We need more examples of that (and a QB).