The Washington Commanders look a lot different now than they did one month ago. Sure, the roster hasn’t changed yet, but beginning with new general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, Washington’s vision is beginning to take shape.
The day after Quinn’s hiring became official, we learned who would lead the Commanders’ offense and defense. Washington hired former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, while Joe Whitt Jr. followed Quinn from Dallas to be his defensive coordinator.
Quinn’s coordinator hirings drew praise from around the league.
From their responses on social media, some Washington players appear to be happy with the coaching moves.
We look at six players who will benefit the most from the coaching moves.
WR Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin will finally play in an offense that is extremely wide receiver-friendly. Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense will get McLaurin the most touches he’s seen in his NFL career, and the passing concepts create natural separation. While the Commanders still must get the quarterback position right, this offense will feature McLaurin, and if healthy, he’ll put up the biggest numbers of his career in 2024.
WR Jahan Dotson
Speaking of wide receivers, maybe we got Jahan Dotson’s breakout season off by one year. Everyone predicted a Dotson breakout in 2023 under Eric Bieniemy. It didn’t happen for a variety of reasons. His numbers were down, and he played in every game. Dotson’s frustration was evident. Kingsbury will line Dotson up everywhere, and with Curtis Samuel expected to depart, Dotson could see more time in the slot, which will be fun in this offense. Is the 2024 season Dotson’s year? Well, it’s too soon to make that prediction, but we believe Dotson will establish career-high numbers across the board.
DTs Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne
Let’s put this one together as a duo. During Dan Quinn’s introductory press conference, he singled out two positions: Defensive tackle and wide receiver. Quinn was probably confused as to why Washington didn’t get more from defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. That will change under Quinn. Allen has already said he was excited about next season and playing for Quinn after ending the season frustrated over the constant losing.
Quinn is a defensive line coach by trade. He can take lesser players and find the perfect roles for them. Allen and Payne are stars. Quinn will find ways to help them reach their potential. Allen and Payne should be excited.
LB Jamin Davis
Jamin Davis has played three seasons in the NFL after being a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Davis was extremely raw when drafted, and while he struggled early in his career, he has improved steadily over the past two seasons.
Now, Davis will get real coaching. He already displayed excitement on social media after Quinn was hired. Quinn quickly determined that Micah Parsons was more than just an off-ball linebacker. Parsons is now arguably the most-feared pass rusher in the NFL. Davis isn’t Parsons. Relax. But Quinn will find different ways to employ Davis. In rare pass-rushing opportunities, Davis has thrived in the past two seasons. He will receive more of those chances under Quinn. Quinn will not devalue the linebacker position the way the former staff did. Davis has a chance for a breakout season in 2024 because he will have coaches who can take advantage of his skill set.
CB Emmanuel Forbes
Emmanuel Forbes had a disastrous first NFL season. The 2023 first-round pick struggled badly as a rookie and lost confidence late in the season. The Commanders didn’t do right by Forbes, either. For some reason, early in the season, Forbes was matched up with A.J. Brown (Eagles) and D.J. Moore (Bears) in single coverage. It went as expected. Instead of scaling back his role, they benched him. He had a position coach three years removed from coaching in high school.
While some fans are ready to write Forbes off, just wait. We are about to find out what Forbes is made of. Quinn and new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. come from Dallas, where the Cowboys had an NFL-high 93 turnovers over the past three seasons. Whitt was Dallas’ primary secondary coach, and in 2021, Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs led the NFL in interceptions. DaRon Bland led the NFL in interceptions in 2023 and also established a new NFL record for pick sixes.
Forbes was drafted for his ability to force turnovers. In college, he broke records for interceptions and pick-sixes. This new coaching staff will benefit Forbes, but it’s up to Forbes to put last season behind him and become the player Washington envisioned only one year ago.
