Tag: Marshon Lattimore

Will Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore play vs. Cowboys?

The latest update on Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore.

The Washington Commanders received a much-needed break after Thursday’s 26-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the second game in four days for a Washington team that still hasn’t reached its bye week.

The extra time off is particularly beneficial for players dealing with injuries, such as cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

The Commanders acquired Lattimore via trade from the New Orleans Saints three weeks ago, but he has yet to suit up with Washington. Lattimore has been dealing with a hamstring injury since before the trade. So, the Commanders knew Lattimore wasn’t an immediate plug-and-play.

“We knew there was going to be some time where it wasn’t plug and play after the trade,” head coach Dan Quinn said Monday about Lattimore. “And so, what I look for from the player to see, is he working as hard as he can to do that and learning as quick as he can? And good news for us is that Marshon’s like absolutely savage worker, wants to go be as ready as you can and digging in, but we’re just not going to take the chance.”

So, what are the chances that Lattimore will practice for the first time with Washington this week?

“I’m hopeful that he’s able to see the field some; he’s trending in the right space,” Quinn said. “He’s still working really hard from the rehab spot to see where he can go. But with a soft tissue injury, we’re not going to miss one step of this, you know that. Just like no different than with the other guys, but we’re encouraged that he’s definitely pointing in the right direction. So yeah, we’re hopeful that we see him out on the practice field some towards the end of the week.”

That’s encouraging news for Washington. The pass defense has played surprisingly well despite some depth concerns at cornerback. Part of that is due to the emergence of rookie Mike Sainristil, who has been phenomenal.

The Commanders host the reeling Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. After Dallas, the Tennessee Titans come to town before Washington’s Week 14 bye.

 

It’s clear what the Commanders think of cornerback Emmanuel Forbes

The last four weeks are further proof of what the Commanders think of Emmanuel Forbes.

There was hope for second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes this offseason. It was a fresh start for the Washington Commanders 2023 first-round pick under new general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.

As a rookie, Forbes’ position coach had no business being an NFL position coach and was fired after Thanksgiving. However, Quinn, known for getting the most out of defense backs, hired an excellent staff, including defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., secondary coach Tommy Donatell, assistant defensive backs coach William Gay and defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons. Gay and Simmons both played defensive back in the NFL.

Forbes was excited about the changes, and the new staff seemed eager to work with Forbes.

When the Commanders had a joint practice with the Jets this summer, Forbes struggled. But it was practice. Forbes played 55% of the defensive snaps in the season opener against Tampa Bay. He missed the next two weeks with an injury.

Forbes returned in Week 4 in a blowout win over the Cardinals, participating in 56% of the defensive snaps. The following week, against Cleveland, Forbes played only four snaps and was a healthy scratch against Baltimore.

In a Week victory over Carolina, Forbes played 29 snaps, but in the four games since, he has played a total of eight defensive snaps. Despite being active, Forbes did not play a single snap in two of those games. Forbes was active for Washington’s Thursday night loss to the Eagles, but veteran Michael Davis, who had played 32 total snaps all season, played 20 snaps against Philly.

While the Commanders wait for Marshon Lattimore’s debut, it’s clear where they see Forbes. The 16th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft is clearly at the bottom of the cornerback depth chart and is likely not long for Washington once the season ends.

Forbes’s best-case scenario is that he makes some plays when he gets a chance. Otherwise, some of the knocks against him coming out, such as his size and inability to defend the run, will keep him off the field. Washington’s coaches aren’t biased against Forbes. He had the same opportunity as everyone else, even more so being a recent first-round pick, but has failed to capitalize.

Making matters worse, Peters had to trade future assets to the Saints to acquire Lattimore because Forbes hasn’t developed, and coaches don’t feel like he will.

 

Browns sign promising rookie off Commanders practice squad

Other teams are now signing players off Washington’s practice squad.

The Adam Peters effect is real. Since Peters was hired in January and reshaped the Commanders’ roster, other NFL teams are now signing players off Washington’s practice squad.

This week, the Cleveland Browns signed undrafted rookie cornerback Chigozie Anusiem off Washington’s practice squad to their 53-man roster. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound corner played collegiately at California before finishing his career at Colorado State.

After going undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft, the Commanders gave Anusiem a $50K signing bonus and a $300K base salary guarantee to sign with them as an undrafted free agent.

Anusiem showed promise throughout the offseason. While he didn’t make Washington’s initial 53-man roster, the Commanders quickly re-signed him to their practice squad. He has yet to appear in an NFL game.

Washington currently has five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster: Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, Benjamin St-Juste, Emmanuel Forbes and Michael Davis. While Lattimore has yet to make his Washington debut since being acquired in a trade two weeks ago, there is optimism he’ll be available in Week 12 vs. Dallas.

Everyone raving about Commanders CB Mike Sainristil after performance vs. Eagles

Commanders CB Mike Sainristil was phenomenal against the Eagles. Here’s a collection of what some around the NFL said about Sainristil.

Lost in the talk surrounding Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s performance on Thursday night was another rookie cornerback. Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil was equally as impressive as Mitchell, often with his less help.

While Mitchell often matched up with Commanders star Terry McLaurin, holding him without a catch (McLaurin had one reception for the game), the Eagles frequently gave him some help over the top.

Meanwhile, Washington’s struggling secondary needed someone to step up. Enter Sainristil. The second-round pick was expected to primarily play slot cornerback, but he’s been forced to play more outside out of necessity, and he’s thriving.

During Thursday’s loss to the Eagles, Sainristil matched up with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson. He allowed two receptions on the night for a total of 31 yards. PFF gave him a grade of 89.0 — Washington’s highest of the night.

Commanders’ fans know they have a gem in Sainristil. Now, others are taking notice, too.

Check out some of these reactions to Sainristil’s play from X.

Warren Sharp:

Ryan Fowler:

Doug Farrar:

Check out the tackling:

Darius Butler:

 

When Marshon Lattimore makes his debut, the Commanders’ cornerback position will quickly go from a weakness to a strength with him and Sainristil on the outside.

Commanders announce seven inactives at Eagles

The Commanders have seven inactive players for Thursday night’s matchup with the Eagles, thus elevating players from the practice squad.

The Washington Commanders, in preparation for their matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, released their final list of inactive players ahead of kickoff. There are seven Commanders who will be unavailable for tonight’s game:

 

  • LB Dominque Hampton: A rookie drafted in the 5th round; Hampton hasn’t been active yet in 2024.
  • K Austin Seibert: Seibert will miss his second consecutive game with a hip injury.
  • QB Jeff Driskel: This is the seventh consecutive game Driskel is inactive. He is however the designated emergency quarterback if two quarterbacks are injured today. He was active when Marcus Mariota was on injured reserve.
  • CB Marshon Lattimore: Lattimore injured a hamstring while still with the Saints and missed his final game as a Saint. Missing the first two with Washington, he has now missed three consecutive games.
  • RB Chris Rodriguez: Without Rodriguez, the Commanders seriously need Brian Robinson to remain healthy throughout tonight’s game.
  • LB Nick Bellore: This is the third game this season Bellore has been inactive.
  • Chris Paul: Paul was inactive the first seven games, then active for three games (Bears, Giants, Steelers), and tonight is again inactive vs the Eagles.

The Commanders also announced they have elevated K Zane Gonzalez from the Practice Squad to replace K Austin Seibert.

Finally, the team announced they have elevated DE Efe Obada from the practice squad. The Commanders initially released Obada after the trade for CB Marshon Lattimore, but they immediately re-signed him to the practice squad.

Marshon Lattimore to miss his second game after being traded from Saints

Marshon Lattimore won’t make his Washington Commanders debut just yet. The former Saints cornerback is going to miss his second game since being traded:

Washington Commanders fans celebrated their team making the league’s biggest move at the NFL trade deadline, but they’ll have to wait another week to get their first look at Marshon Lattimore. The former New Orleans Saints cornerback is still dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for last Sunday’s game. Washington head coach Dan Quinn announced Wednesday that Lattimore won’t be able to play on Thursday night, either.

Hamstring issues have trailed Lattimore since his college days at Ohio State; it’s one reason he fell to the Saints in the 2017 NFL draft in the first place. They’ve continued to afflict Lattimore throughout his pro career including earlier this season.

Still, it’s a disappointing turn for a great talent. When he’s healthy and locked in there isn’t a better cover corner in the game than Lattimore. That’s why the Commanders traded so many draft picks to acquire him at the deadline. It’s on the Saints to make the most of those resources and prove that trading Lattimore when they did was worth it.

So will he be on the field when the Commanders visit the Caesars Superdome next month? That feels likely. By now it’s obvious there was nothing to the speculation suggesting Lattimore was taking his time recovering from injury to put pressure on New Orleans into trading him, but he should be fully recovered by the time he makes his return on Dec. 15, barring a setback. We’ll keep an eye on his progress but for now the Saints must focus on their next opponent, not one they’ll see a month from now.

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Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore will not play vs. Eagles

The Commanders will be without Marshon Lattimore on Thursday vs. Eagles.

The Washington Commanders will be without newly acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore for Thursday night’s huge game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dan Quinn spoke to the media Wednesday for the final time ahead of Thursday’s NFC East showdown and confirmed Lattimore would not be available to play.

Lattimore’s absence is not surprising. When the Commanders acquired him last week, he was dealing with a hamstring injury and has yet to practice. Washington acquired Lattimore knowing he’d be available for the playoff run, and he’s under contract for two more seasons.

The Commanders rank in the top 10 in pass defense but have struggled when teams attack their secondary. During Sunday’s close loss to the Steelers, the secondary allowed two big touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Mike Williams, where cornerback Benjamin St-Juste was beaten badly.

St-Juste, Mike Sainristil and Noah Igbinoghene have served as Washington’s top three cornerbacks in recent weeks. Last season’s first-round pick, Emmanuel Forbes, has played only a handful of snaps over the last three games. Forbes first struggled against the Eagles and A.J. Brown in Week 4 last season.

Commanders’ injury news and updates ahead of Week 11 vs. Eagles

Commanders’ injury news ahead of Week 11.

This is a huge week for the Washington Commanders. On Thursday, they will face the Philadelphia Eagles in a battle for the NFC East. Washington led the division for much of the season until Sunday’s one-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

What happens on Thursday doesn’t determine the NFC East race but does put the winner in the driver’s seat. Remember, these two teams will meet again in several weeks.

Washington has yet to have its bye week (Week 14), and the Commanders are banged up. Running back Brian Robinson Jr., newly acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore, offensive tackles Andrew Wylie and Cornelius Lucas and kicker Austin Seibert all missed Sunday’s game.

What’s their status ahead of Thursday?

Washington held a walkthrough on Monday, so the injury report is just an estimation, but Lattimore, Seibert and special-teams standout Nick Bellore all missed practice. The others mentioned above were limited.

What did head coach Dan Quinn say about Washington’s injury situation ahead of Thursday?

“I’ll probably have a better sense of that tomorrow,” Quinn said of Washington’s numerous injuries. “Some guys were still going through imaging, and that’s all. As far as overall injuries, I’ll have a better sense when I visit with you guys prior to practice. We got a big, deep crew, and we’ll roll hard, but you do have to be selective in the way of how to touch the speed this week. And that’ll be closer to Wednesday for us as we get to do that Monday today. And Tuesday would be a miniature version of what we’d install on a Wednesday and a Thursday. So that’s how we kind of plan for the week. Today would be like a Wednesday, tomorrow’s like a Thursday, the next day is like a Friday, and then get into the game from a teaching and install part.”

Quinn was careful not to name names or give status updates on any of the injured Commanders. This is an abbreviated week, so injury reports will come out on Tuesday and Wednesday (final injury report). Everyone will have a better sense of which players can play Thursday.

Judging by his injury, if you had to guess now, Lattimore may not be quite ready for Thursday night, which would be a blow to the secondary that must cover A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

We’ll update you on the Commanders’ injuries on Tuesday.

Marshon Lattimore’s hamstring injury delays his Commanders debut

Marshon Lattimore’s hamstring is still bothering him after the trade from the Saints. His Washington debut will have to wait another week:

There was some belief that Marshon Lattimore would magically be healthy after the New Orleans Saints traded him to the Washington Commanders. This did not happen. Lattimore will miss at least one more game due to injury.

From a fan perspective, watching Lattimore line up against Pittsburgh Steelers wideout George Pickens would have been a fun matchup. A collateral benefit of this is he’s given the opportunity to study the Commanders playbook for more than just a few days. Conspiracy would even say they’re using a preexisting injury to give him extra time.

Questioning the legitimacy of Lattimore’s injury isn’t new. Dennis Allen and Lattimore had enough reported tension for some to wonder if Lattimore could have returned earlier from injury in past seasons.

The most recent hamstring injury came in the midst of a lengthy losing streak. The cornerback having to miss another week would suggest he is truly injured. This is the second time he’s had to deal with a hamstring injury in 2024, and the injury is notoriously pesky.

But don’t worry Saints fans. He’ll be back in time for Dec. 15 when the Commanders come to New Orleans.

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Report: Ravens offered third-round pick for CB Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline

Ravens offered third-round pick for Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline

After a night in which the Baltimore Ravens allowed 428 passing yards and four touchdowns from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, with 264 yards and three touchdowns going to star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, it was reported that New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was almost a member of the purple and black at the trade deadline just a few days prior.

According to NFL Insider Albert Breer, the Ravens offered the Saints a third-round pick for the four-time Pro Bowler but was ultimately outbid by the Washington Commanders.

Instead, Baltimore traded for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Tre’Davious White in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick and received a 2027 seventh-round pick back in the deal.

The Ravens’ pass defense has been the team’s biggest weakness through the first 10 weeks of the season, and that was never more evident than when they were against the Bengals on Thursday Night Football. Baltimore’s safety play has been a significant reason for the unit’s regression, but cornerback Brandon Stephens had a rough season after a breakout performance in 2023. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey is back to playing at a high level, forcing a game-changing fumble on running back Chase Brown to jumpstart a comeback victory over Cincinnati, and rookie first-rounder Nate Wiggins has been solid. The team could still use any form of help in the secondary.

Whether or not White will be able to make a difference for the Ravens’ secondary down the stretch remains to be seen. The former first-rounder has struggled this season, leading to several inactivations as a healthy scratch on gameday for the Rams. The former All-Pro cornerback suffered a torn ACL with the Buffalo Bills in 2021 and is coming off a torn Achilles that ended his 2023 season.