Tag: Joe Whitt Jr.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn had some interesting comments on Emmanuel Forbes

What did Dan Quinn mean when discussing Emmauel Forbes?

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a rookie season to forget in 2023. Forbes didn’t play well, but the entire team was a mess last season.

The Washington secondary took significant steps backward when former coach Chris Harris left for another job. Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio replaced him with a coach who was coaching high school before coming to Washington.

The good news is the former coaching staff is gone. Even better news is the Commanders hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as head coach. Quinn brought his secondary coach from Dallas, Joe Whitt Jr., to serve as his defensive coordinator. Quinn and Whitt have done outstanding work with multiple defensive backs.

Last week, Forbes said he was excited for a fresh start.

Before Wednesday’s OTA practice, Quinn met with the media and was asked about Forbes. Here’s what he said:

“We’re trying to find out what unique things a player has,” he said in response to a question about Forbes, who has been returning punts early in OTAs.

What does this mean? Is the coaching staff already concerned with Forbes? While no one in charge was responsible for drafting him 16th overall only one year ago, moving on from a second-year player would be difficult. So, does Quinn’s comments mean, “We can’t cut him, so we need to find something he does well?”

ESPN’s John Keim said in a recent edition of his podcast he didn’t believe Forbes would open the season as a starting cornerback.

Maybe the coaching staff watched Forbes return interceptions for touchdowns in college and thought he could give them some juice as a punt returner. It would make sense.

The comments were interesting. Maybe they mean nothing. Before anyone counts out Forbes, Quinn has maintained there is competition everywhere. That would include cornerback. If Forbes proves he’s one of the top cornerbacks, he will start.

Forbes has the rest of OTAs, minicamp and training camp to prove he has improved under the new coaching staff. Washington needs Forbes. While the Commanders signed multiple cornerbacks in free agency, none of them are really considered a No. 1 or No. 2 cornerback. Remember, fellow cornerback Benjamin St-Juste is also coming off a tough season.

Which UDFA is most likely to make the Commanders’ 53-man roster?

Which undrafted rookie has the best chance of earning a roster spot?

It’s been a busy offseason for the Washington Commanders. In addition to hiring a new general manager (Adam Peters) and head coach (Dan Quinn), the team was busy with free agency and the NFL draft.

Washington signed over 20 outside free agents, selected nine players in the draft and signed 11 undrafted free agents. That’s a lot of turnover in one offseason, but it was needed after a disastrous 4-13 season.

The Commanders entered the offseason needing help almost everywhere. Quarterback and offensive tackle were the most talked-about positions, but cornerback was also needed.

Washington selected Emmanuel Forbes in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Forbes’s rookie season was disastrous. He was benched multiple times after being beaten badly. However, in fairness to Forbes, he didn’t necessarily have great coaching.

That will change now with Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. While there is optimism that the new coaching staff will help Forbes, the Commanders still needed reinforcements at cornerback. Washington signed multiple veterans to compete in training camp and used a second-round pick on Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil.

Sainristil almost immediately becomes the Commaders’ starting slot cornerback.

Washington signed former Colorado State cornerback Chigozie Anusiem in undrafted free agency. Anusiem began his career at Cal and spent his final two seasons with Colorado State. Many were surprised he wasn’t drafted as Anusiem is 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, with long arms and speed.

Anusiem was a hot commodity after the NFL draft, as nearly half the league tried to sign him.

With all of these factors in mind, you’d think Anusiem has a great shot at making Washington’s 53-man roster.

Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently named one undrafted free agent from every team that he believes is most likely to make the initial 53-man roster.

Fowler chose Anusiem.

A long and physical corner, Chigozie Anusiem fits the mold of what new Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn covets in his perimeter defenders. He’s built eerily similar to the corners already in Washington.

Anusiem’s ability to seamlessly work downhill as a Cover 3 corner should give him a floor for success in the NFL.

Questions still remain about Benjamin St-Juste and 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes, so a solid showing this summer could help Anusiem suit up in a key rotational role for Washington this fall.

This isn’t like past regimes, where coaches or executives kept a player on the roster because of their draft status or how much money they were owed. Under Peters and Quinn, the best players will make the roster. And there’s a good chance they believe Anusiem is one of their best defensive backs once the pads go on this summer.

Commanders to host Notre Dame cornerback on top 30 visit

The Commanders to host another cornerback on a pre-draft visit.

The Washington Commanders will soon host another cornerback on a top-30 visit. According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Washington will host Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart on a pre-draft visit.

Hart, like Elijah Jones of Boston College, who will also visit Washington, has some high-level traits. While neither are first-round prospects, both are long, athletic corners, something Washington head coach Dan Quinn has always liked.

Hart is 6-foot-3, 202 pounds, and ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds at the 2024 NFL combine. One game that will stand out to evaluators is Notre Dame’s game against Ohio State, where he matched up with Marvin Harrison Jr. and more than held his own. Harrison caught three passes for 32 yards on that day.

Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. have an outstanding history of developing defensive backs, with DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs being the most recent examples. It’s clear the Commanders are looking for help at cornerback in the draft and believe they can find one in the third round or later.

 

Another former Commanders’ defensive assistant heading to the Cowboys

More coaching movement between the Cowboys and Commanders.

When the Washington Commanders hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to be their new head coach, there were bound to be some assistants who followed Quinn.

One was former Dallas secondary coach/pass game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Whitt, who followed Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas, joined him in Washington as his new defensive coordinator. It was a long overdue promotion for Whitt, who will call the Commanders’ defensive plays.

The Commanders attempted to hire others, but the Cowboys blocked the moves. Whitt received a promotion; therefore, Dallas couldn’t stop him from leaving. Also following Quinn and Whitt was assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd, who will have the same role with Washington.

How did Dallas replace Quinn? Before the Cowboys hired Mike Zimmer, they interviewed recently fired Washington coach Ron Rivera. While Rivera didn’t get the job, Dallas did hire former Washington defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina.

Now, another former Commanders assistant is heading to the Cowboys.

On Friday, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reported that former Washington defensive assistant Cristian Garcia was joining Dallas as a defensive quality control assistant.

When Rivera fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and secondary coach Brent Vieselmeyer in November — after a blowout loss to the Cowboys — he took over as Washington’s defensive play-caller. He also gave Garcia a promotion as the interim defensive backs coach. Garcia would help Rivera in game planning over the Commanders’ final five games of 2023.

A University of Florida graduate, Garcia joined Washington in 2021 as a defensive coaching assistant. In 2022, he was moved to a defensive quality control coach before being promoted to assistant defensive backs coach/nickels in 2023.

 

Could the Commanders be interested in a pair of recently released cornerbacks?

Two veteran cornerbacks were released on Friday. Could either help the Commanders in 2024?

Christmas came early for all 32 NFL teams Friday when the league revealed the 2024 salary cap would be $255.4 million — an increase of $30 million from 2023.

Not only does the higher cap give teams more cash to spend in free agency next month, but it also helps some of those teams needing to create cap space ahead of the new league year.

Some of those teams needing to clear began releasing players this week in preparation for free agency. One of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, Xavien Howard, was released by the Miami Dolphins Friday.

Howard, who will turn 31 in July, was slated to count over $25 million against Miami’s salary cap in 2024. He spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Dolphins, is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, and has led the NFL in interceptions twice.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Howard can still play. He will receive significant interest from around the NFL. Howard played in 13 games last season but scored the lowest grade of his career, according to Pro Football Focus (55.1).

The Washington Commanders need help at cornerback. Kendall Fuller is a free agent, and Emmanuel Forbes and Benjamin St-Juste struggled in 2023.

Does Howard make sense for Washington?

No, for multiple reasons. First, his age. While a different player than Fuller, Howard is almost two years older than Fuller. Also, he doesn’t offer the versatility that Fuller does. Fuller can play outside, in the slot, or at safety. The Commanders could bring Fuller back for what Howard would cost.

But there was another recently released cornerback who could help Washington.

The San Francisco 49ers released cornerback Isaiah Oliver on Friday. Oliver, 27, spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons before spending the 2023 season in San Francisco. New Washington head coach Dan Quinn in Atlanta drafted him. Oliver played for Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. in 2020.

The 6-foot-0, 210-pound Oliver isn’t Howard, but he could provide much-needed veteran depth and stability to the cornerback room. In addition to Quinn and Whitt, Commanders GM Adam Peters was San Francisco’s assistant GM last season. Also, new defensive line coach Darryl Tapp was with the 49ers last season, too.

Oliver would be a cheap addition to the secondary and wouldn’t make a dent in Washington’s NFL-leading salary cap space. Per PFF, he received a 67.6 grade in 2023.

The good news is there are enough voices in the organization to know if Oliver would be a worthwhile addition for 2024.

The Commanders will add to the cornerback room, likely through free agency and the draft. St-Juste and Forbes remain an integral part of Washington’s plans, but after last season, the Commanders shouldn’t count on either.

How many ‘hits’ did the Commanders have in their 2023 NFL draft class?

How many “hits” did Washington have in last year’s draft? The new coaching staff could change the fortunes of several players.

There were questions when the Washington Commanders selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes over Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez at No. 16 overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

It’s not as if teams didn’t like Forbes. Several teams and draft analysts raved about Forbes, specifically his ball skills. Forbes set an FBS record with six interceptions returned for touchdowns in his three-year college career. And, playing in the SEC, Forbes routinely played against college football’s top wide receivers.

However, teams were concerned about Forbes’ slight frame.

With their second-round pick, the Commanders doubled down in the secondary, selecting the versatile Quan Martin of Illinois. Martin could play everywhere in the secondary and was seen as a valuable second-round pick, but Washington was criticized for not focusing on other need areas, such as the offensive line.

After one NFL season, there are many questions about Forbes, not so much about Martin. Forbes showed signs of flashes, but in a Week 4 loss to the Eagles, Washington’s coaches kept him in a one-on-one matchup against Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown. Brown continuously beat Forbes. The following week, D.J. Moore of the Chicago Bears did the same thing to the rookie.

Forbes was benched. He returned, was benched again and returned again. The former coaching staff did nothing for Forbes. Washington’s former defensive coordinator (Jack Del Rio) and defensive backs coach (Brent Vieselmeyer) were fired after a Thanksgiving blowout loss at Dallas.

Martin showed flashes throughout the second half of the season and looks to have a bright future under Washington’s new coaching staff.

New defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. mentioned Forbes and Martin as players he liked coming out of last year’s draft.

Outside of Forbes and Martin, the Commanders had five other draft picks. Only two gave them much of anything last season: Fifth-round DE K.J. Henry and sixth-round RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.

CBS Sports NFL draft expert Chris Trapasso recently analyzed each 2023 draft class by the number of “hits” each team had after one season.

Washington had one: Rodriguez.

It clearly wasn’t a high-volume role for Rodriguez as a rookie, but he nearly averaged five yards per tote and forced an impressive 12 missed tackles on his 51 carries. Other than Rodriguez, the Washington 2023 draft class was essentially non-existent, and first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes was a liability in coverage.

He’s not wrong. Rodriguez routinely displayed his ability in limited opportunities. As for Martin, we’d call him a “hit,” but we can also understand the jury remains out.

This draft class will always be remembered for Forbes. As other rookie cornerbacks saw more immediate success than Forbes, his selection will be criticized. However, no one should write him off. He had one bad season with an underperforming, lame-duck coaching staff.

New head coach Dan Quinn, Whitt, defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and veteran assistant John Pagano bring plenty of NFL experience to Washington’s staff in 2024. Forbes, Martin and others should benefit from a much better coaching staff next season.

Whatever ‘it’ is, new Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. has it

Joe Whitt Jr. is a future head coach.

It didn’t take long for new Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. to become a fan favorite.

On Thursday, Whitt began his press conference by talking about how grateful he was to be in Washington. He mentioned the franchise’s once-glorious past but, most importantly, is focused on energizing the team, the city, and the “whole fan base.”

Whitt didn’t stop there.

For years, fans have debated the 4-3 defense and the 3-4 defense and which is best for the Commanders. In Whitt’s case, it isn’t about the structure or scheme — it’s about the play style.

What is that play style? Whitt says Washington will have a “run and hit defense.” Even better, the Commanders “are gonna put bodies on people in a violent manner.”

Are you ready to run through a wall for Whitt yet?

Whitt said it’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach the players. That’s why head coach Dan Quinn and Whitt put this specific staff together. However, you won’t be around if things aren’t done the right way.

That’s called accountability. Washington has lacked that for years — everywhere.

Here’s one: “Ball is life.”

Whitt discussed creating turnovers, something he and Quinn did a lot of with the Cowboys over the past three years. “Ball is life” is something Whitt said you will hear him talk about often because the ball is “like air, and we gotta have it, we gotta get it.”

Washington’s defense, led by Quinn and Whitt, will have an identity. Players will be coached — and coached hard. If you can’t take that, you won’t be around. That’s a welcome change for the Commanders.

Whitt is grateful to be in Washington. He has so much love and respect for Quinn, calling him the “best human being that I’ve probably been around in football.” Whitt praised Quinn for writing handwritten notes to Whitt’s kids and even breaking down film with Whitt’s young son when he was struggling.

You can’t teach that type of loyalty and respect.

One thing was clear throughout Whitt’s time speaking with the Washington media: Whatever “it” is, Whitt has “it.” It’s not his words; it’s his confidence and delivery. And he’s had the results to back it up.

He is overdue for his chance at being a defensive coordinator, and if things go the way this staff thinks they will, Whitt will be an NFL head coach. He has everything: leadership, the “it factor,” teaching, scheme, and relationships. Whitt is the real deal.

Washington fans have seen coaches win the presser before. But something about Quinn, Whitt, and this staff just feels different.

So, are you ready to run through that wall yet?

 

5 takeaways from Commanders’ coordinators introductory press conference

A great first day for Washington’s new coordinators.

The Washington Commanders officially announced their 2024 coaching staff Thursday, and coordinators Kliff Kingsbury (offense) and Joe Whitt Jr. (defense) met with the local media.

A hot topic for Kingsbury was the quarterback position. Kingsbury has coached quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and, yes, presumed No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. As expected, Kingsbury didn’t reveal much on that subject.

As for Whitt, he was direct, honest, passionate and enthusiastic.

Kingsbury didn’t give any details about the current roster, while Whitt did offer some details on some of Washington’s young players.

Here are five thoughts/takeaways from Kingsbury and Whitt’s media session.

Twitter reacts to Commanders’ DC Joe Whitt’s first press conference

New Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. had everyone fired up.

New Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was introduced to the local media and fans on Thursday and it couldn’t have gone any better.

The veteran NFL assistant and first-time coordinator was honest, direct, passionate, energetic and grateful in his first meeting with the local media. Whitt described his philosophies, such as “the ball is life,” meaning his defense would be focused on turning the ball over as much as possible.

There was the moment when he said the Commanders will have a way of doing things, and if you can’t follow, then you probably won’t be around too long. Or, how about the moment where Whitt discussed winning streaks, losing streaks, and coaches working longer hours when their team was on a losing streak?

“So, when coaches started to stay later when we’ve lost two or three games, man, you were cheating us,” Whitt said. “Because if you thought that was going to give us a better chance of winning, you would’ve done it before we lost.”

Great stuff.

Whitt impressed everyone. We go to X — formerly Twitter — to see the reactions to Whitt’s first press conference with the Commanders.

Commanders announce complete 2024 coaching staff

The Commanders make it official.

The Washington Commanders have announced their entire 2024 coaching staff. Head coach Dan Quinn was introduced to the media last week, and on Thursday, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. will address the media.

Here is a look at most of Washington’s staff.

The Commanders made it official ahead of Kingsbury and Whitt’s press conference, revealing each member of the 2024 coaching staff, including full-time coaches and support staff.

Washington also released the job titles of some, including Brian Johnson, who will serve as the assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator.

Here’s the complete list with updated titles for each coach.

  • Dan Quinn: Head coach
  • Sarah Hogan: Coaching chief of staff
  • Pete Ohnegian: Player development coach

Offense:

  • Kliff Kingsbury: Offensive coordinator
  • Brian Johnson: Assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator
  • David Blough: Assistant QB coach
  • Andre Coleman: Offensive assistant
  • Bobby Engram: Wide receivers
  • Bobby Johnson: Offensive line
  • Anthony Lynn: Run gam coordinator/running backs
  • Tavita Pritchard: Quarterbacks
  • David Raih: Tight ends
  • Darnell Stapleton: Assistant offensive line
  • Shane Toub: Offensive quality control

Defense

  • Joe Whitt Jr.: Defensive coordinator
  • George Banko: Defensive quality control
  • Tommy Donatell: Defensive backs
  • Shariff Floyd: Assistant defensive line coach
  • William Gay: Assistant defensive backs coach
  • Ryan Kerrigan: Assistant linebackers coach/pass rush specialist
  • Ken Norton Jr.: Linebackers
  • John Pagano: Senior defensive assistant
  • Jason Simmons: Defensive pass game coordinator
  • Darryl Tapp: Defensive line