4 Commanders players with unrealistic expectations in 2024
By Dean Jones
Emmanuel Forbes - Commanders CB
Emmanuel Forbes came into the Washington Commanders with the potential to become a genuine ballhawk in the secondary. Ron Rivera was convinced this would happen sooner rather than later. After a rookie campaign that won't live long in the memory, the jury is still out.
Forbes' lack of genuine size and bulk caused untold complications. The coaching staff deserve their fair share of blame for putting too much on the cornerback during his early transition. This resulted in the player getting exposed and physically outmatched when going up against some of the league's most prolific pass-catchers.
The No. 16 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft was eventually benched. Forbes got plenty of work down the stretch, but the same frustrations remained. Now, he gets the chance to silence some doubters under more accomplished coaches in 2024.
Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. know how to get maximum productivity from their defensive backs. If the highly-regarded duo manages to work their magic on Forbes, then all hope is not lost by any stretch of the imagination.
However, expecting Forbes to dramatically turn into an exceptional outside coverage presence is unfair and unrealistic in equal measure. That was Rivera's problem last season and he paid the price.
This is going to be a gradual process with Forbes, or at least it should be. The former Mississippi State star needs to build up confidence lost during the previous campaign. He also needs to be integrated slowly despite the Commanders having some concerns about their cornerback unit heading into the 2024 season.
Forbes is athletically gifted and has the instincts normally associated with productive NFL cornerbacks. Last season was a baptism of fire in no uncertain terms, so earning the right for prominent involvement and being receptive to coaching is only going to serve him well.
Anything less could see the same complications emerge. Something that would throw Forbes' future with the franchise into doubt along the way.