Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as plans take shape behind the scenes under Dan Quinn and Adam Peters?
The NFL is a fast-moving beast. It's unrelenting. While the Super Bowl may have brought the curtain down on the 2023 season, attention immediately turns to preparations for the new campaign. Something the Washington Commanders have been implementing gradually as part of their ambitious plans under the new regime.
On this topic, the stories causing debate include Josh Harris' reasoning behind hiring Dan Quinn, how Adam Peters' aligned vision approach can help the Commanders, Ryan Kerrigan's importance after being retained on the coaching staff, and more staff alterations coming to light.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders staff taking shape
It's been a busy few weeks for Dan Quinn since becoming Washington Commanders head coach. There was no time to bask in the glory of getting a second chance. Immediate attention turned to molding the best coaching staff possible in the hope they can take the franchise to better fortunes.
Several more moves were reported on Tuesday. The Commanders will retain wide receivers coach Bobby Engram, who spurned advances from elsewhere to remain in Washington. He's an up-and-coming figure with glowing references. This should enable a sense of continuity to remain amid expected changes to the wideout room.
Quinn went back to the Dallas Cowboys to hire Sharrif Floyd as an assistant defensive line coach. The former first-round pick's once-promising playing career was cut extremely short by injury, but he's making a name for himself in the coaching ranks and should bring something a little different.
David Raih is Washington's new tight ends coach. He's got a previous working relationship with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and most recently spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Commanders owner Josh Harris' reasoning
Many thought the Washington Commanders were forced to settle with Dan Quinn after two major reported curveballs. First, it was Ben Johnson informing them mid-flight that he wouldn't be attending their second scheduled interview. Then it was Mike Macdonald, who supposedly turned them down in favor of the Seattle Seahawks.
We'll never know for sure what occurred, although that won't stop people from speculating. Majority ownership partner Josh Harris brought a little extra insight into what transpired. He claimed Quinn was always high on their list of priorities and praised his blossoming relationship with general manager Adam Peters based on comments via USA Today Sports.
"Listen, we, uh, identified Dan very early. I mean, you heard a lot of it up there in terms of his ability to lead, to motivate. There’s a small, as he was talking, I was thinking about the small fraternity of players, the small fraternity of coaches and to be elite, you’ve got to track elite people. Right. And so his ability to track those people really stood out to us. So we identified him, and listen, there were a lot of qualified candidates who went through a very thorough process and, you know, we ended up with our guy."Josh Harris via USA Today Sports
Peters and Harris were looking for a genuine leader of men to steer them through such a pivotal transition. Quinn has the credentials to be exactly that. However, the pressure is on to make a good impression in readiness for the 2024 campaign.
Aligned vision can help Commanders' recruitment
Adam Peters made no secret of his desire to install an aligned vision across the Washington Commanders. This was seldom seen during Dan Snyder's ownership tenure. It had to change for this once-proud franchise to stand any chance of winning back a sense of respectability across the league.
Peters stated via the team's website that this doesn't just apply to the ethos. Having a common goal in mind and one clear direction is going to assist greatly during their recruitment throughout free agency and the NFL Draft. With several key needs to fill and plenty of resources available to the new general manager, this should be music to the ears of every fan.
"When you watch it on TV and you turn the volume down, you just see how fast and physical and aggressive you are on both sides of the ball, finishers. That type of style is what you're looking for. And whether it's 4-3, 3-4, however you want to talk, Wide Zone, any type of offense, it's finding those types of guys that…we want to bring in the building and people that love football who are going to give it all for us on the field."Adam Peters via Commanders.com
Knowing the schematic concepts and acquiring players who fit these demands might sound like a simple objective, but it's lost to some NFL teams. Peters is here to change all that and make the Commanders a force to be reckoned with once again.
Ryan Kerrigan's importance
Dan Quinn's arrival as head coach was always going to come with significant changes to the coaching staff. It was a period of necessary assessment and adaptation for the Washington Commanders after another disappointing campaign. Some coaches were deemed surplus to requirements. A select few will stick around to help smooth the transition.
Quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and wide receivers coach Bobby Engram resisted alluring glances from elsewhere. Arguably the most popular move was retaining Ryan Kerrigan, the former Washington player who'll now take on the assistant linebackers coach/pass rush specialist role under Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.
This decision to keep Kerrigan on the staff has been universally well-received. Mike Fisher from Sports Illustrated also thought it was the perfect bridge move as the Commanders look to impose themselves as an NFL authority once again.
"Critics of the Washington Commanders often remind us that good times around here have been too few and far between. But good times might be on the horizon with the hiring of new coach Dan Quinn … and Quinn's decision to retain Ryan Kerrigan seems a wise "bridge" move back to the good times that once were."Mike Fisher, Sports Illustrated
Having such a prolific coaching staff is great, but the Commanders need to find the right players to go along with this newfound ethos. This bears special significance to the pass-rushers Kerrigan will be working closely with after trading Montez Sweat and Chase Young before the 2023 deadline.