6 players who could follow Dan Quinn to the Commanders in 2024
By Dean Jones
Commanders could sign Stephon Gilmore
When Dan Quinn goes into greater depth to find out what went wrong with the Washington Commanders this season, the number of splash plays given up defensively will be right at the top of things to fix. The secondary was nothing short of woeful from start to finish. Aside from Kendal Fuller, nobody performed consistently enough as another campaign spiraled out of control.
If Fuller departs - which is possible if the cornerback wants to land on a contender in free agency - the Commanders need another dependable option capable of potentially locking down one side of the field. He might be in the twilight of his potential Pro Football Hall of Fame career, but Stephon Gilmore showed he still has some life left within Quinn's scheme in 2023.
Few players around the league boast Gilmore's credentials. He is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He's a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. Despite being on the older side, his exceptional football acumen and coverage technique remain a force to be reckoned with.
The former first-round pick out of South Carolina gave up just 55.8 percent of targets thrown in his direction this season. Gilmore's passer rating when targeted was 82.7 - the highest of his career but still pretty good nonetheless.
This would be nothing more than a short-term fix. However, there's just no telling what Gilmore's on-field presence and quiet leadership could do for the likes of Benjamin St-Juste, Emmanuel Forbes, and Quan Martin.