The Washington Commanders are still searching for their next defensive coordinator after Joe Whitt Jr. was made surplus to requirements. It's a painstaking process, but head coach Dan Quinn wants to make sure he gets the right hire into the building.
One possible option who spoke to Washington is no longer available. And it may have saved the Commanders from making a baffling mistake.
The Green Bay Packers made Jonathan Gannon their new defensive coordinator. He's replacing Jeff Hafley, who was hired as the Miami Dolphins' head coach. This represents an outstanding opportunity to revive his coaching career almost immediately following his departure from the Arizona Cardinals.
Commanders caught a lucky break as Jonathan Gannon joins the Packers
The Commanders had a lucky escape here. Gannon couldn't get a good enough tune out of some decent defensive pieces in Arizona. His motivational techniques have also come in for criticism, and the Cardinals' constant underachievement under his leadership eventually became his undoing.
John Keim of ESPN always thought Gannon replacing Whitt was unlikely. The team insider didn't think this was a good fit, and he was right. That doesn't mean he won't be a good fit in Green Bay, and he's got a lot of outstanding talent at his disposal to get his coaching journey back on track.
As for the Commanders? They are still searching.
Rumors are circulating that Washington may want to speak with Raheem Morris, a finalist to replace Gannon in Arizona. He's got outstanding defensive credentials and has worked with Quinn on the Atlanta Falcons. Several other candidates have also been interviewed, so there are still options.
Al Harris is another. He also got an interview with the Packers before they went with Gannon. That could give the Commanders a massive upper hand if this is their preferred target, though there's no telling for sure right now.
The sooner Washington makes an appointment, the better. A significant defensive overhaul on the playing personnel side is expected, and any new additions will need to fit into the coordinator's schematic concepts. Things should become clearer once the Cardinals make their head-coaching choice. That will place Quinn's cards about Morris on the table. But the Commanders were probably right not to hand over the keys to Gannon.
His success with the Philadelphia Eagles came when Gannon's defense could generate pressure with four men. There isn't enough quality in Washington for that, so it represented too big a risk when push came to shove.
Gannon has those tools in Green Bay. So he may not have chosen the Commanders, in any case.