The Washington Redskins are yet to play a game under new head coach Ron Rivera, or even take the field for that matter, but the head man in Burgundy & Gold picked up his first major victory on Thursday evening when it was announced that former Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar had a warrant issued for his arrest in Florida, where he is charged with four counts of Armed Robbery with a Firearm.
Of course, saying that one man’s defeat is another man’s victory is harsh, and we don’t mean it literally. However, by watching Dunbar’s actions off the field with a new team, Rivera was vindicated in trading him away and starting fresh.
In 2019, Dunbar was one of the best players on the Redskins’ roster, and he was rated as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. He was undoubtedly the best defender in Washington, and the secondary relied heavily on his production. Going into 2020 with a new regime and fresh culture, it wasn’t crazy to hope that Dunbar would be a part of the successful beginnings that were on the horizon. But that’s not how Rivera saw it. He was willing to give Dunbar the chance to be one of the cogs in Washington’s machine, but when the star cornerback came to him asking for a new contract or a trade, Rivera decided to trade him away. He only wanted players who wanted to be with the Redskins, and he felt that players should prove to him why they deserved a financial investment via their play on the field. Dunbar may have had a spectacular 2019 season, but he still had injury issues that lingered, and a new contract may have put the team at risk. Until Dunbar could prove he was worth the financial risk, Rivera was reportedly unwilling to hitch is wagon to the CB.
On Thursday, it was proven to us that Rivera made the right call.
The future is uncertain for Dunbar, as it is for New York Giants CB Deandre Baker, who was also charged with Aggravated Assault and Attempted Armed Robbery. Both have cloudy futures involving the legal system, and it’s possible that they will miss significant time going forward. Meanwhile, the Redskins are set with a roster full of players who have bought into Rivera’s culture and system, and after Thursday, I think the fan base will have completely bought in as well.
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