4 Commanders players whose fate is sealed after Dan Quinn hire

Cody Barton - Commanders LB

Speaking of linebackers…

Cody Barton's arrival in free agency last year came with mixed reviews. There were some signs of encouragement after the best statistical season of his professional career with the Seattle Seahawks. There were also glaring flaws in his production that meant this gamble could have gone either way.

Barton performed well enough over the final few games, but the damage had been done long before. The second-level presence couldn't find the right angles to assist in run support more often than not. He made tackles, but these were often way downfield rather than anticipating things a little closer to the line of scrimmage.

Things didn't get much better for Barton in coverage. He's not the most athletic. Whenever he was tasked with duties in the passing game, it was something opposing teams would look to exploit. Once that starts happening and the safeties need to come down, it opens things up downfield for bigger gains.

Dan Quinn knows a good linebacker when he sees one. After studying the film and coming up against the Washington Commanders in recent years, he'll also know much more is required. Barton wasn't ever found wanting for effort, but the in-game instincts were severely lacking during his one and (probably) only season in the nation's capital.