Dan Quinn had a lot to say on Monday, and he was clear he is not looking to rebuild.
Quinn, in his introductory press conference, did point out two position groups that he felt were strong for the Commanders. It also may have been his way of being positive, not to mention how Ron Rivera left gaping holes in this roster with non-productive drafts.
“This is a recalibrate, finding our north again. You will not hear me say the word rebuild at all… There is no timeline, but we will push it hard to see how good we can get and how fast we can get there.”
Quinn has been a head coach previously in Atlanta. He won in Atlanta, and he lost in Atlanta. He was hired, and he was fired. He knows in the NFL, if you don’t get it done, they will find someone else to get it done instead of you.
The most recent Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator knows this will not be easy, but he also provided a glimpse into how he will be approaching this challenge of having a winning season. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than doing hard s_ _ _ with good people.”
Indeed it will be a challenge. Washington has not recorded a winning record since Kirk Cousins was the starting quarterback in 2015 (9-7) and 2016 (8-7-1).
Quinn did name two positions that he felt the Commanders have some depth, alluding to the defensive tackles and wide receivers groups. “Man was I impressed by the inside of the defense, with the defensive tackles. That’s the spot that jumped out at me. Then the skill at wide receivers.”
Daron Payne (13 tackles for a loss, 11 QB hits) and Jonathan Allen (10 tackles for a loss and 19 QB hits) led inside of the defense. Terry McLaurin had a fourth season of 1000+ receiving yards, while Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson collected 62 and 49 receptions, respectively. Dyami Brown has all the speed needed but, once again, only contributed 12 receptions in 2023.