The Washington Commanders enter training camp with a new head coach for the first time since the summer of 2020.
Dan Quinn adjusting to his new surroundings isn’t the only prominent question facing the NFC East franchise, however.
Unanswered Questions Ahead of Washington Commanders Training Camp
The former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator replaces Ron Rivera, who produced one playoff appearance but delivered no more than eight victories in any season in D.C.
Quinn’s return to the head coach seat for the first time since 2020 is part of the five major questions ahead of Commanders 2024 camp. But the defensive guru has one prominent offensive position group to address during camp, which is the subject of our lead-off question.
Who Will Be the Offensive Line Starters?
While the buzz around Jayden Daniels as the new quarterback is substantial, Quinn has to immediately identify the five guys who’ll keep him upright. Last year’s unit surrendered an astonishing 65 sacks. Now, battles for some of the top line positions are likely to sprout up during camp.
Left tackle could come down to Brandon Coleman and Cornelius Lucas. The latter has more experience but surrendered three sacks on 152 pass block attempts according to Pro Football Focus. Inside, Nick Allegretti comes over from the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. However, the left guard was last seen dealing with a torn UCL that could hinder him in camp and force someone else to man LG.
Meanwhile, Quinn brought over Tyler Biadasz, who’s fresh off his first Pro Bowl appearance, from the Cowboys via free agency. He’ll have to develop strong cohesion with Daniels right away in camp to ensure the rookie will have a strong signal-caller in the trenches.
Lastly, Sam Cosmi and Andrew Wylie are returning starters on the right side. Wylie, however, has allowed nine sacks in back-to-back seasons, per PFF. He could get pushed by veteran Trent Scott.
How Much Will Jayden Daniels Play in the Preseason?
It’s all but given that Daniels will see reps come August when the Commanders play out their preseason schedule.
However, many across the league wonder how much Daniels will play.
Considering he was brought in as the future of the Commanders, it won’t be surprising if Daniels sits at least two exhibition games while Washington plays Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel, and Sam Hartman.
How Has Dan Quinn Changed as a Head Coach?
Quinn is getting a second chance as an NFL head coach.
Not long ago, he took the Atlanta Falcons to Super Bowl 51. But the most prominent memory of that game is the infamous blown 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots.
MORE: Pro Football Network’s Top 100 NFL Players of 2024
Since that harsh defeat, Quinn never made it back to the conference title game. He also never surpassed seven victories and got fired following an 0-5 start in 2020.
But Quinn managed to build himself back up as a respectable defensive coordinator. His 2023 Cowboys defenses ranked fifth in yards allowed and turned Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and DaRon Bland into Pro Bowlers. Perhaps his three seasons away from head coaching has refreshed and reignited Quinn ahead of camp.
Can Quinn Fix a Questionable Secondary?
With Quinn’s area of expertise being on defense, he should be a valuable resource as the Commanders attempt to upgrade the secondary.
The defensive back unit was the league’s weakest in 2023 — ranking dead last in both total and passing yards. Now, top safety Kamren Curl is gone to the Los Angeles Rams.
Quinn turned to the draft to address the struggling secondary, using selection No. 50 on Michigan star Mike Sainristil. The national champion earned rave reviews from PFN’s Ian Cummings ahead of the draft, garnering a top-50 prospect grade. He’ll likely bolster the nickel/slot cornerback role that Bland originally handled in Dallas under Quinn before his breakthrough ’23 season.
On the veteran side, Jeremy Chinn was lured in to help replace Curl. Quinn will need Chinn to stay healthy to bolster this defense. The safety has yet to play an entire regular season over his first four years in the league — which has contributed to a drop-off in tackles each year.
Lastly, Quinn will need Emmanuel Forbes to take another step forward after breaking up 11 passes and delivering three interceptions across 14 games in his rookie 2023 campaign.
Who Steps Up As WR2 Next to Terry McLaurin?
Daniels to McLaurin sounds energizing for Commander fans, especially since the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner gets a perennial 1,000-yard wide receiver to start his career.
The rest of the WR room, however, is a different story ahead of camp.
Jahan Dotson has the current inside track to become the WR2 option following the departure of Curtis Samuel. Dotson, though, has yet to surpass the 500-yard receiving threshold in his first two NFL seasons since being a first-round pick in 2022.
MORE: Try PFN’s 2024 NFL Playoff Predictor
If not Dotson, Luke McCaffrey has the opportunity to become the second option in the WR corps next to McLaurin. The younger brother of San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey became a third-round find for Quinn and Washington in the ’24 draft.
Regardless, someone will have to use camp and preseason to take pressure off the WR1 for the Commanders.