3 small Commanders' moves that could make a big difference in 2024
By Dean Jones
Commanders signed Jeremy Chinn
It came as no surprise to see the Washington Commanders implement wholesale changes across their defense this offseason. Many projected this could be a potentially dominant unit last time around thanks to the exceptional players at their disposal. The complete opposite occurred
Washington's defense was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish. This saw Jack Del Rio fired in-season and head coach Ron Rivera also lost his job once the campaign concluded.
Dan Quinn and new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. have the experience and accomplishments to raise confidence about improvements next season and beyond. A plethora of new faces must mesh quickly, but fans can relax in the knowledge the best possible coaches are on hand to achieve this objective.
One of the smaller, more underrated moves to solidify the defense might be a masterstroke by the Commanders when it's all said and done. The organization convinced free-agent Jeremy Chinn to join the ranks on a one-year deal. Looking at his athletic intangibles, this is a player who appears tailor-made for Quinn's concepts.
Chinn burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2020. The former second-round pick looked like a star in the making and arguably should have won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year over Commanders edge rusher Chase Young. This was as an outside linebacker, but the Carolina Panthers opted to switch him to the safety position, where he was less effective.
This limited Chinn's ability to be instinctive, which is where he excels. When Ejiro Evero switched to a 3-4 base defensive scheme in 2023, the Southern Illinois product didn't fit in and saw his snap percentage drop to 39.
This left Chinn frustrated and desperate for a fresh start. The Commanders provided him with exactly that in a system that should maximize the skills at his disposal. If everything goes well and the player uses how things ended in Carolina as an extra source of motivation, earning a long-term deal in 2025 is well within his capabilities.