Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media earlier this week at the league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida. Here are some quick hits from his press conference.
- The trade for Laremy Tunsil will have reverberating effects on the offense, which is what the Commanders hoped when they acquired him from the Houston Texans. This will be especially true on the offensive line, which will experience a shakeup to accommodate Tunsil as a premier left tackle. Brandon Coleman, who played left tackle last season, will move over to right tackle for now as the team tries to find the best lineup. That doesn't mean Coleman will stay there; he will have to earn the job from current right tackle Andrew Wylie and could also move to right guard in place of the injured Sam Cosmi.
- The Commanders focused on bringing back several of their own free agents this offseason rather than make moves that dominated the national conversation. Backup Marcus Mariota was one of those players, and Quinn said it was important to have the veteran return to the quarterback room because of his experience with Jayden Daniels. He also played well when tasked with replacing Daniels, which was another important factor in the team's decision. "There were sometimes in practice where he was absolutely throwing dimes against the defense and made it as hard a look as you could possibly imagine. That speaks to who the competitor is," Quinn said.
- The Commanders had two joint practice sessions last training camp, and Quinn would like to do so again in 2025. The New England Patriots have been reported as a possible team, as Quinn said that "as a coach, you want to work with someone who does it right and have good sessions." He trusts that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel can provide that.
- The Commanders could always add a player to their running back room in the draft, but for now, it looks like they will keep the group the same as it was in 2024. The position had immense success last season, as it spearheaded an offense that averaged 154.1 yards per game, and Quinn felt there was "some real impact that was made." He added that he likes the group's versatility, which played a significant role in the team's success. "If we can do that over and over through the run game and the screen game, motioning out deep, bringing guys back in, that's a big piece."
- Obviously, the Commanders had almost instant success in 2024 with a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC Championship. There were plenty of positive signs on the field, but what Quinn likes to look at the most was the number of players who wanted to come back from last year's roster because of how much fun they had building the team. "That made me happy," Quinn said. "I knew we were hitting in the right spot that people wanted very, very badly to be back and be part of it. They sense what it can be here, but it only comes from them doing it together."
- Quinn knows from coaching against Tunsil that he's "a tough matchup" for opposing defenses. His athletic traits certainly play a role in him being known as one of the best left tackles in the sport, but Quinn also highlighted Tunsil's patience as a reason for his success against pass rushers.
- Quinn joked that there were "hundreds" of reasons to re-sign Bobby Wagner (referring to the number of tackles in his career). Wagner possesses a rare blend of being a good teammate with elite production, and that made it a "no-brainer" to bring Wagner back to the defense. "The impact that Bobby made on and off the field was excellent ... It was the ball player first, but when you can have the ball player and the teammate, man, that's an easy one to do. That was really important for us."
