When the Washington Commanders took the risk of promoting David Blough to replace Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, most fans and experts thought he would be surrounded by experience on his staff. That hasn't been the case so far.
There are some accomplished figures already on the books. The likes of Anthony Lynn, Bobby Engram, and Brian Johnson are still on the staff for now. The Commanders are also giving Wes Welker a more prominent role as an offensive assistant, which will only help Blough on the path to potential prosperity.
More changes could be coming. However, one potential target linked to the Commanders is no longer an option.
Commanders won't get the chance to speak with Darrell Bevell even if they wanted to
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Carolina Panthers are hiring Darrell Bevell as associate head coach/offensive specialist. He was being touted to the Commanders because of his prior association with Quinn and his coaching of Blough with the Detroit Lions. The respected coach also has a strong bond with Dave Canales, who considers him a mentor. That was enough to tip the scales in the NFC South club's favor.
At least from the outside looking in, this possible move made a ton of sense for Washington.
Bevell has been an offensive coordinator at four different stops throughout his coaching career. He spent the last few years with the Miami Dolphins as their pass game coordinator. His work in developing young quarterbacks is renowned and respected in equal measure.
Whether the Commanders were interested or not is anyone's guess, but Bevell wasn't going to wait around. Canales and Carolina's general manager, Dan Morgan, were both around in Seattle when Bevell was their play-caller. They believe he's got the knowledge and the ideas to take things up a notch, which is precisely what quarterback Bryce Young needs entering Year 4 of his professional career.
This would have been a useful addition to the Commanders' staff under Blough, potentially giving him a proven commodity to lean on during his critical transition and significant step up in responsibilities. Washington may be content with what it has right now, but either way, it's a franchise-defining leap of faith that will cost Quinn his job if it all goes wrong.
Quinn and Blough are aligned in the offense they want to run. It's going to focus on laying the table for explosive plays with more of Jayden Daniels under center. Bevell could have helped with the landmark changes taking place, but the Panthers got in there first.
And if the Commanders want to make further additions to their offensive staff, it'll have to be someone else.