Commanders head coach praises $97 million cornerback

The Washington Commanders are paying the big bucks to one of their key defenders, who is starting off strong in training camp.

Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore defends a pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are excited to have cornerback Marshon Lattimore for a full season in the secondary.

Lattimore was acquired in a trade with the New Orleans Saints back in November, but struggled to find his footing late last season as he was dealing with injuries.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has high hopes for Lattimore in his first full year in the nation's capital.

READ MORE: Micah Parsons’ trade request from Cowboys could be huge for Commanders

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown gets into a fight with Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Quinn has high praise for Lattimore

“What I can say coming in, one, his mindset's great," Quinn said of Lattimore.

"Honestly, coming in, just fresh eyes, a fresh start, everybody kind of doing it together. So, I've noticed that, sensed that, his communication is even more with the other teammates as they're building it together. We're going to be smart as we're going. We're almost here to August, so for him, there's more ramp up that will go through it.

"We're just not going to miss one step. So, as we're going a little bit more, then some more, then some more. So, we're still into that phase, but we really are going to aim to nail it. And so, to say I've seen good plays from him, yes. Most importantly, I want to see the good healthy plays because I know that's when we'll be at our best.”

Lattimore is a key part of the secondary and is expected to be the team's No. 1 cornerback for the season.

If the Commanders can get the right amount of production from Lattimore, the team can finally no longer list cornerback as the team's biggest need.

Lattimore and the Commanders will face off against the New England Patriots for the preseason opener on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

READ MORE: Commanders' Jayden Daniels opens up about Terry McLaurin relationship

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