The Washington Commanders' trade from cornerback Marshon Lattimore created plenty of buzz around the league, within the fan base and among Lattimore's new teammates. It's a sign that the team believes it can compete now, and they're willing to do what's necessary to get that done.
Now that the trade for Lattimore with the New Orleans Saints is official and he's in the building, the next step is to get him on the field so he can be the lockdown corner Washington expects him to be. As to when that will be, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has an answer for that: "I don't know."
"But as soon as we can, we will," he added.
As ideal as it would be for Lattimore to hop off the plane, roll into practice and get ready to make his Commanders debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend, the reality is that it will probably take some time before he puts on the burgundy and gold for the first time. There are still steps that need to be taken, and while the Commanders are eager, they're also willing to be patient.
"We're going to make sure that we don't miss one step of the ladder as we're going to go and get him ready," head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday.
The Commanders were aware that Lattimore, who has played in seven games this season with 30 tackles and two pass breakups, was dealing with a hamstring injury before they made the trade for him. They certainly wouldn't have made a move for him if they believed it would be a lingering issue, but considering how tricky hamstrings can be, they gave Lattimore a physical to assess how they should deal with the injury.
Lattimore passed the physical, which is a good sign, but he was held out of practice on Wednesday.
"It's an important one to make sure that he's really at his best and feels strong and confident to do that because the player's going to [say], 'I'll go, I'm ready,'" Quinn said.
Lattimore was in uniform on Thursday but did not have a helmet on as he watched his new teammates from the sidelines. He's leaving the decision of when he'll be able to participate in drills up to the team and training staff.
"The injury just happened, so I don't really know what's going on as far as timetables for getting back on the field," Lattimore said. "It's up to them."
In the meantime, Lattimore wants to do whatever he can to be ready for his Commanders debut, whenever that is. For now, most of that revolves around getting to know the playbook and terminology of Washington's scheme. The coaches aren't necessarily concerned about him getting up to speed, though, because of his experience with different defensive coordinators during his time in New Orleans.
Plus, Quinn said Lattimore has had success on the right, left and in the slot -- an uncommon trait, even for an NFL player.
"You gotta be a smart guy to be able to do that," Quinn added. "And he's shown over the course of his career the ability to move inside and outside and staying connected to receivers. That's really the name of the game and he's able to play it tight. He's a good tackler."
Still, the terminology will require some adjustment from Lattimore, because while most NFL teams run similar coverages, learning the defensive calls to get to those concepts is like learning a new language.
"Scheme is scheme," Whitt said. "People play cover three. You're zone cover three, or you're a three match. You're zoning your pressures, or you're matching your pressures. It's all the same. It's just the terminology, so that's really what he has to get to, and then just the finer reduction checks that might be different in each place."
Check out the top photos of newly-acquired Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore. (Photos via The Associated Press)
Once he gets that down, the Commanders have complete faith in how he can improve a secondary that is already allowing the fifth fewest passing yards per game. Lattimore hasn't allowed a touchdown in single coverage since 2021, and his –12.3% completion rate over expected when targeted as the nearest defender is third lowest in the league this season.
That, plus his four Pro Bowls, 4.3 speed and nose for the ball -- he's had at least one interception in each season since he joined the league in 2017 -- made it an easy decision for the Commanders to make the trade.
"The toughness, the physicality," Quinn said. "Whether it was this month, six months from now, this is a player that you'd want to be on your team. He stands for the right stuff. He's got an attitude to battle and really pumped we have him here."
Lattimore doesn't doubt what he can add to the Commanders' defense, either.
"I'm gonna go out there and do everything I can for the team to get the win," Lattimore said. "Just being a dog."
And don't ask Whitt or Quinn exactly how they're going to use Lattimore on the field, whenever that may be. Just know that he fits the identity they want to establish.
"We want to play an aggressive style of ball, and that's what he is," Whitt said.