Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media on Tuesday. Here are five takeaways from his press conference.
- He connected with Daronte Jones instantly.
The Commanders went through a lengthy process to find their defensive coordinator, which Quinn is grateful for in hindsight because it allowed him to get an even more detailed look at the unit in terms of what went wrong and what could improve. It also resulted in Quinn interviewing with Jones, and it didn't take long for them to connect.
"I think from a football standpoint, we hit it off quickly," Quinn said.
The origin of that connection stemmed from a shared defensive philosophy. They had similar feelings on how to play defense, create turnovers and disguise coverages. Quinn described Jones as "one of those people you meet and you're like, 'All right. I get it,'" and it helped him feel like he and Jones were aligned before they could get to know each other well.
It was the difference-maker for Quinn, and as the Commanders went through a process that involved both experienced and younger coaches, he kept coming back to Jones because of his experience as a teacher and his football acumen.
- An "aggressive, balanced" offense.
David Blough is going to bring in a new vision for the offense, and while we don't have much of an idea on how he wants to run the unit, Quinn did provide some context on what Commanders fans should expect.
"This is going to be an aggressive, balanced attack that will probably have more under center than we have in the past," Quinn said.
That last part should please a contingent of fans who watched the Commanders run an offense that was almost exclusively out of the shotgun over the last two years. Quinn wants the offense to generate more explosive plays, and he and Blough believe that can be accomplished with the variety of run plays and play-action passes that can come from a quarterback being under center.
The decision comes back to making sure Jayden Daniels is put in the best position to succeed.
"We're gonna try to feature every part of Jayden and what makes him unique and special," Quinn said.
- Both Blough and Jones are great teachers.
There's a massive difference between Blough and Jones in terms of coaching experience. Blough is just two years into the profession, while Jones has coached at every level from high school to the NFL over nearly three decades. But there are some common threads between them, particularly when it comes to their coaching styles.
"I think you'll find…the energy for teaching," Quinn said.
It's a core trait that Quinn values in his staff, as the Commanders want to be seen as a franchise that can get the most out of their players. He's already seen that trait from Blough, who has worked closely with Daniels over the last two seasons. His research on Jones showed that he was also "remarkable" in his coaching style and ability to connect with players. He put belief in players to help "raise their game up," Quinn said, and that was a sentiment shared by many players over his various coaching stints.
"Those are the types of things, from a leadership standpoint, that you want to hear," Quinn said. "Developing players, making an impact, finding ways to teach it where it can be clear and concise."
- Some staff changes.
In addition to Blough and Jones, Quinn also announced several other changes to the staff.
In terms of new additions, DJ Williams is coming over from the Atlanta Falcons to fill the open quarterbacks coach position that was left vacant when Tavita Pritchard left to be Stanford's head coach. On defense, Eric Henderson, who coached the Los Angeles Rams' defensive line in a recent stint, is joining the staff in the same role. Wes Welker is now on the staff as an offensive assistant after working with the defense last year.
As for the title changes, here is a full breakdown:
Andre Coleman to Assistant Wide Receivers/Returners Coach
- Anthony Lynn to Running Backs Coach
- Jesse Madden to Assistant Running Backs Coach
- Darnell Stapleton to Offensive Line Coach
- Shane Toub to Assistant Offensive Line Coach
- Wes Welker to Offensive Assistant
- George Banko to Assistant Linebackers Coach
- Tommy Donatell to Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach
- William Gay to Defensive Backs/Cornerbacks Coach
- Darryl Tapp to Assistant Defensive Line Coach
- John Pagano to Outside Linebackers Coach
- Keeping things in the family.
Every coach on the Commanders' staff brings something unique to the franchise. On top of having a track record that now spans three teams, Williams also happens to be franchise legend Doug Williams' son.
DJ Williams has always been a coach that Quinn liked to keep an eye on since his days in Atlanta. With the Commanders in need of a new quarterbacks coach, Quinn decided it was finally time to interview him and see if they could work together. His own research into DJ was confirmed during their Zoom interview (Quinn used some colorful language to convey how impressed he was).
Quinn said he didn't include Doug Williams in the process at all, partially because he was nervous about how he would bring it up if DJ didn't get the job. With that concern quickly dispelled, Quinn waited until after DJ had accepted the job to tell Doug, "Hey, man, we hired a quarterback coach, and I think you know him."
"I'm certain he [Doug] was a good recruiter on the other side of it," Quinn said. "I wanted the separation and not the connection. I knew that part would take care of itself."
