'It Starts Up Front!' Dan Quinn Reveals Commanders' Strengths
After an exhaustive coaching search left the Washington Commanders burnt by the favorite for the job, they turned to Dan Quinn to right the ship. His experience and connections will be trusted to stabilize the organization while new ownership attempts to work its magic.
Washington is staring down the barrel of a rebuild, having traded its two best edge rushers at the deadline and possessing the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, good quarterback play can accelerate a team’s timeline, and the Commanders are not completely devoid of talent.
During his introductory press conference, Quinn spoke about the strengths of the roster he will now inherit.
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“I'll start with the defense because that's unfortunately sometimes where my eyes go first,” Quinn said. “But, I would say man was I impressed by the inside of the defense, with the defensive tackles. Knowing that it starts up front on both sides, man, defensive line and offensive line, so that was the spot that jumped out to me, the defensive tackles.”
Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne headline a Washington defense that was bad on both a down-to-down and explosive play basis. However, a strong spine is integral to building a physical defense – something Quinn lacked at his last stop with the Dallas Cowboys – and his two defensive tackles are cornerstones, should they buy into Quinn’s vision.
Quinn also mentioned the offensive line which, despite quarterback Sam Howell doing his best to break the sack record, wasn’t as bad as it was made out to be. Former second-round pick Sam Cosmi found immense success while sliding inside to guard. Washington may take a tackle with one of its early picks, but this isn’t a situation where a prospective quarterback is bound to fail because of his supporting cast.
That cast, of course, includes a receiving corps with respectable talent, too.
“The skill at receiver. You have to have elite players on the edge for the matchup,” Quinn said. “So, when they come, that's when you got to go attack … I certainly played against the club, so I know about more of the offensive players and game planning and studying, but this receiving group really had skill and they would test you and push you and find matchups.
“That to me, that's where it stood out to me first.”
Receiver Terry McLaurin has been the best player on this offense. He’s put up 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons, along with 919 in his rookie campaign. McLaurin’s athleticism complements his nuanced separation skills to make him one of the league’s most dangerous receivers.
His sidekick, former first-round receiver Jahan Dotson, is no slouch. Dotson is yet to live up to his draft capital, but he has a knack for making big plays and can play both on the boundary and in the slot.
Washington certainly has its problems – under center and encompassing much of the defense, especially – but if Quinn’s hiring of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury pans out, there’s enough talent to be feisty in the first year of this administration.
