Tag: Jason Simmons

Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. is a big fan of cornerback Emmanuel Forbes

The new defensive coordinator is a fan of Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin.

Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a disastrous rookie season in 2023. The No. 16 overall pick was embarrassed early in the season, lost his confidence and was benched.

Forbes returned and played well. Until he struggled again. And instead of allowing Forbes to play through his struggles, Washington’s previous staff — that had to have Forbes over other higher-rated cornerbacks — kept him on the bench.

The changes began after Thanksgiving when the Commanders fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer. Last month, Washington fired head coach Ron Rivera.

Now, one month later, the Commanders look completely different under new head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Quinn and Whitt came from Dallas, where two different cornerbacks led the NFL in interceptions in two of the past three seasons.

So, for those of you ready to give up on Forbes — just wait.

In his introductory press conference on Thursday, Whitt was asked about Forbes specifically.

“I really liked Forbes when he came out, and not only Forbes, I like Quan (Martin),” Whitt said. Martin was Washington’s second-round pick who improved throughout last season and has a bright future.

“And you know, they have a number of guys on that backend that are really intriguing. And the thing that we have to do, that’s why we brought (defensive pass game coordinator) Jason Simmons in and (defensive backs coach) Tommy Donatell, to get those guys in and to believe in the techniques that we’re going to teach ’em and the scheme that we’re going to put them in. But we have quality young players here. We are just ready to get to work with them.”

Forbes should be excited. Whitt has developed some outstanding players over the last 15 seasons with Green Bay, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Dallas. Simmons is a 10-year NFL veteran who worked with Whitt when he first began his coaching career in Green Bay and has also had stops in Carolina and Las Vegas.

Donatell is a young coach who can relate to younger players. In recent years, he has worked with Chargers’ All-Pro safety Derwin James. The Commanders also hired veteran defensive assistant John Pagano, who has a history of leading successful defenses and is known for his work with defensive backs.

Quinn has committed to not only bringing in better players but also improving the talent Washington has on the current roster. The different voices will be a positive change for Forbes and others after a tumultuous 2023 season.

Quinn, Whitt and general manager Adam Peters knew they couldn’t replace every player on the roster. The goal was to hire a strong staff built on teaching the fundamentals and leadership that would change the fortunes of some young players, specifically Forbes.

Forbes shared his excitement on Twitter when Quinn was announced as the head coach. If he was listening to Whitt’s opening press conference, he should be elated. If Forbes buys in — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t — he could be in store for a massive turnaround in 2024.

 

Commanders’ Dan Quinn promised people wanted to come to Washington

Dan Quinn said people want to be in Washington. He’s right.

Dan Quinn wasn’t kidding.

With new coaching staff hires on Wednesday, it reveals Quinn wasn’t exaggerating when last week he promised, “There are people that really want to be here.”

Quinn said in his introductory press conference he learned a lot from his head coaching experience in Atlanta and that if he could get one more shot at an NFL head coach position, he would make the most of what he learned.

Consequently, in this last week, Quinn has retained Ryan Kerrigan, Tavita Pritchard, and Bobby Engram from the staff of the 2023 Commanders. Also added to Quinn’s staff in the last week have been Brian Johnson (offensive pass-game coordinator), Jason Simmons (defensive pass-game coordinator), Larry Izzo (special teams), Bobby Johnson (offensive line), John Pagano (senior defensive assistant), Ken Norton Jr., (linebackers), David Raih (tight ends), Sharrif Floyd (assistant defensive line), Tom Donatell (defensive backs), Darryl Tapp (defensive line), and Anthony Lynn (running backs/offensive run-game coordinator).

Lynn has head coaching experience (Chargers) as does Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals). Lynn played for and coached under Mike Shanahan and, most recently, was on Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers staff.

Simmons, 47, played defensive back in the NFL for a decade and has coached DBs with the Packers, Panthers, and Raiders.

Donatell played defensive back at Iowa and has served on Pete Carroll’s staff with the Seahawks, worked with Norton for three seasons, and most recently served on Brandon Staley’s staff with the Chargers.

Johnson (Brian) most recently was the Eagles OC employing an innovative run-pass option offense led by Jalen Hurts. Previously, he worked on the Dan Mullen staff at Mississippi State (Dak Prescott) and then Florida (Kyle Trask).

Johnson (Bobby) had the misfortune of the Giants offensive line spending more time in rehab than on the field, thus giving up the most sacks in the NFL. But the previous season, the Giants made the playoffs and won a playoff road game, utilizing an effective running game with Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones.

Do you notice a trend? Both Johnsons have worked with systems utilizing a running quarterback. All three of the top quarterback draft prospects, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, are dual-threat quarterbacks. Come to think of it, so is Sam Howell.

Add to that, Lynn comes from the 49ers rushing attack as the running backs coach. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Kingsbury will only be throwing the ball in 2024. He is surrounding himself with people who know how to creatively run the ball in their schemes.

This coaching staff is loaded with experience, knowledge and talent.

All of them will not be able to be powerful and the smartest man in the room. It will be up to them to lay aside their egos and accept their assigned roles on Quinn’s staff.

But compared to the Ron Rivera staff of the last four seasons, couldn’t Quinn’s team be a much better-coached team?

Isn’t it fun thinking about how much better this franchise is already trending upward?

Commanders hire Tom Donatell as defensive backs coach

Donatell is the son of a longtime NFL assistant coach.

Dan Quinn filled another position on his defensive staff Wednesday, naming Tom Donatell as Washington’s new defensive backs coach.

Donatell, 34, played defensive back at Iowa and began his coaching career at the college level as a graduate assistant at the University of South Florida in 2013. After two seasons there, he took the position at UCLA for the next two seasons.

He came to the NFL in 2017, joining Pete Carroll’s staff with the Seattle Seahawks. Donatell was a quality control/defensive assistant in Seattle. It was there that Donatell worked with new Commanders linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. Norton was Seattle’s defensive coordinator for three of Donatell’s four seasons with the Seahawks.

He joined Brandon Staley’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 as the assistant defensive backs coach. He was promoted to defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach in 2023, but Staley and his staff were fired at the conclusion of the season.

Donatell is the son of longtime NFL assistant Ed Donatell. The elder Donatell has coached the secondary for numerous NFL teams and has been the defensive coordinator for the Packers, Falcons and Vikings.

Donatell joins Jason Simmons, who was named Washington’s defensive pass game coordinator last week.

Quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard to remain with the Commanders in 2024

The Commanders are building a terrific coaching staff.

It was a busy day for the Washington Commanders. First, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed that Washington was expected to hire former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson to a “prominent role” on the offensive coaching staff.

Fowler later noted that Johnson’s role would likely be pass-game coordinator for new head coach Dan Quinn.

Shortly afterward, Fowler revealed a key hire for the defense, tabbing Jason Simmons as defensive pass-game coordinator. Simmons spent last season with the Raiders, but spent several years in Green Bay, working with new Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Later Thursday, more coaching news, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported that quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard will return in the same position in 2024.

Pritchard, who joined Washington in 2023, had interest from around the NFL and impressed Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. A former college quarterback at Stanford, Pritchard later served as quarterback coach and offensive coordinator at his alma mater before coming to the NFL last season.

Washington is building a terrific coaching staff and, on offense, appears to be focusing heavily on the development of a young quarterback.

Commanders hiring Jason Simmons as defensive pass game coordinator

The Commanders are hiring Jason Simmons as their new defensive pass game coordinator

Dan Quinn is assembling his coaching staff in Washington and he’s bringing in a former member of the Las Vegas Raiders to help the pass defense. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Commanders are hiring Jason Simmons as their new defensive pass game coordinator.

Simmons held that same role with the Raiders for the last two seasons after also being the defensive pass game coordinator in Carolina from 2020-2021. He started his coaching career with the Packers in 2011 and has primarily worked with defensive backs ever since, with a brief stint as an assistant special teams coach in Green Bay from 2016-2017.

Simmons, 47, played a decade in the NFL as a defensive back, spending six years with the Texans and four with the Steelers. He had two career interceptions and 241 total tackles.

Commanders granted permission to speak with Raiders’ assistant

The Commanders will speak to a 10-year NFL veteran for a role of the defensive staff.

New Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn wasted no time making his first coaching hires. Shortly after officially being named head coach, Quinn landed his offensive and defensive coordinators.

On Sunday night, the Commanders hired Kliff Kingsbury, the former Cardinals coach, as offensive coordinator, while Joe Whitt Jr. followed Quinn from Dallas to become the Commanders’ new defensive coordinator.

Now, it’s time for Quinn to fill out the rest of his coaching staff.

A possible name has emerged as Washington’s next secondary coach.

Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Commanders requested — and were granted permission — to speak with defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jason Simmons.

Simmons spent last season with the Raiders and was with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021 in the same roles. Before coming to Carolina, Simmons spent nine seasons with the Packers, where he worked with Whitt.

A fifth-round pick in the 1998 NFL draft, Simmons was a college teammate of Pat Tillman. He played 10 NFL seasons with the Steelers and Texans.

 

Nate Hobbs has ‘found a home’ back in the slot for Raiders

Raiders seem to have learned from last season and where Nate Hobbs does his best work.

Two years ago, Nate Hobbs came on strong as a round five rookie out of Illinois. He did it by grabbing ahold of the slot corner job in training camp and never letting go of it.

He was so good, in fact, that in his second season, the Raiders new coaching staff asked him to do more. In particular, they moved him to the outside. Mostly it was out of necessity, but ultimately it meant they weren’t getting the best work out of Hobbs.

That’s not a knock on Hobbs at all. The slot corner job is not easy. Not a lot of corners in the league can do it well. In part because of the unique coverage responsibilities and in part because of the tackling requirements.

It would appear this Raiders staff learned from that experience. Because despite once again being without two established outside starters, they haven’t been messing around with Hobbs’s position. He is the man in the middle. Just as it should be.

“Yeah, I’m comfortable there,” Hobbs said of playing in the slot. “I get to open my vision, see the field, use my instincts.”

I asked Raiders DB coach Chris Ash if he would say Hobbs has found his niche in the slot for this team.

“Yeah, I would,” Ash said. “I think he has the ability to do anything we need him to, but I think he’s really found a home at that position and has an opportunity with his skillset to really excel there.”

Both Ash and fellow DB coach Jason Simmons agree that Hobbs is talented enough to play anywhere in the secondary. And that may be true. But they know where he his bread and butter is and are wisely keeping him where he makes the greatest impact.

Raiders hiring Jason Simmons as defensive pass game coordinator

Former Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons is taking similar position with Raiders

Raiders’ new defensive coordinator is moving quickly to put together his staff. The latest addition is former Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons who is being hired to a similar position by the Raiders, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Simmons spent the past two seasons in Carolina as their defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach. The Panthers had the league’s second-ranked defense in terms of yards allowed last season while giving up the fourth fewest passing yards in the league.

Prior to 2020, Simmons had spent nine years in the Packers organization, most years as either a secondary or defensive backs coach.

He was on the same defensive staff as Graham in 2018 when he was the linebackers coach and running game coordinator and Simmons was the secondary coach.

Simmons played ten years in the NFL as a defensive back with the Steelers (1998-2001) and Texans (2002-07).

Simmons is the second defensive position coach reportedly hired by the Raiders along with DB coach Chris Ash. Other position coaches include QB coach Bo Hardegree and the retention of WR coach Edgar Bennett. The team also reportedly has hired Tom McMahon as special teams coordinator.

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Report: Dan Quinn was first to interview for Cowboys’ vacant DC role

A third candidate has emerged for the Cowboys’ opening, and it turns out he was the first to be looked into.

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys have been less than enamored with the first two names publicly associated with the search for a replacement for disposed of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Late last week it was revealed that Atlanta Falcons secondary coach Joe Whitt, Jr. was set to interview for the role on Sunday, which he did. Also interviewing for the role was Jason Simmons, who held a similar role with the Carolina Panthers.

Both men spent several years working with head coach Mike McCarthy in Green Bay. However neither was actually the first to interview for the role. It turns out, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, a much more well known candidate had first dibs. Former Falcons’ head coach and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had the first interview, on Saturday.

Quinn was fired from the Falcons this season after an 0-5 start, which included multiple big blown leads, including the infamous Week 2 Watermelon kick game against the Cowboys, which Dallas somehow won 40-39.

Quinn ended his Falcons’ tenure with a 43-42 overall record. His club only finished in the Top 10 in yards and scoring once, his third season in 2017 when they finished 9th in yards and 8th in scoring. His first year they finished 16th and 14th respectively, and each other season they toiled in the 20s. His one year of calling plays, 2019, was his best ranking of his final five seasons, being 23rd in points and 20th in yards.

It was his time as coordinator with Seattle he hangs his hat on. In both years (2013, 2014) the club finished first in both yards and points allowed.

Those were the middle two seasons of four-straight campaigns of leading the league in scoring defense; in other words he took over a top program, maintained it, and then saw them continue to be on top without him.

Dallas’ search seems to be casting a wide net. They also relieved defensive line coach Jim Tomsula of his duties, but as of now no potential replacements have surfaced nor have other position coaches been let go.

It is likely that a new defensive coordinator will have the ability to choose from the remaining coaches if he wants to retain them. That list includes secondary coaches Al Harris and Maurice Linguist and linebackers’ coach Scott McCurley. Harris and McCurley both have ties with McCarthy from Green Bay as well.

Dallas finished the 2020 season ranked 29th in points allowed and 23rd in yards. The 473 yards allowed was the worst in franchise history by over two points a game.

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Report: Panthers secondary coach interviews with Cowboys

He has previously worked with Dallas’ head coach Mike McCarthy on the Packers.

The Panthers’ coaching staff is getting a lot of interest around the league despite a 5-11 finish to the season. Matt Rhule has already lost three assistants and could lose several more in the coming days.

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, Carolina’s defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach Jason Simmons interviewed with the Cowboys for their defensive coordinator position. He has previously worked with Dallas’ head coach Mike McCarthy on the Packers.

Simmons played 121 total games at safety between the Steelers and Texans from 1998-2007. Green Bay first hired him in 2011 as an administrative assistant. In 2015, he became an assistant special teams coach and worked his way up to become the Packers’ defensive backs coach from there. Simmons joined the Panthers’ staff in 2020.

Speaking of, the big domino we’re waiting on is offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who has interviewed with four teams for their head coach positions.

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