Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes struggled during his rookie season and was benched twice. One of the most significant concerns regarding Forbes’s coming out of college in 2023 was his size. He weighed 166 pounds at the 2023 NFL combine.
There isn’t a long track record of players that light succeeding in the NFL.
This offseason, the Commanders hired a new coaching staff led by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. One of Quinn’s first hires was to bring his former secondary coach in Dallas, Joe Whitt Jr., with him to Washington as the defensive coordinator.
Both new coaches admitted to liking Forbes coming out of college. However, his struggles as a rookie led to many questions this offseason. One thing the Commanders wanted to see from Forbes in the offseason was to add some weight.
Through the first few days of training camp, Forbes has looked good. He’s also looked bigger. Quinn confirmed it on Friday.
“Well, I think you want to hit the markers along the way,” Quinn said. “So, for him, adding more size and to be 15 or 18 pounds heavier than he was a year ago. That’s a big step in the right direction. So, it’s a matter of hitting all the spots to go. Tackling that part of things is a big piece of it, but until you go through some of the games and that, you’re not really able to demonstrate that, but you can show markers.”
Quinn was asked for clarification on whether Forbes added 15 pounds. He responded, “Yes.”
After practice, Forbes spoke with reporters and clarified that he gained 17 pounds.
Earlier today, Dan Quinn said #Commanders DB Emmanuel Forbes put on 15 pounds during the offseason
I asked him about it after practice, and he set the record straight @WAVY_News #HTTC #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/ZJv42ZeJx4
— James Kattato (@jckattato) July 26, 2024
Forbes has had a good start to camp. The next test comes when the Commanders have joint practices with the Jets and Dolphins.
