The Washington Commanders might have head coach Dan Quinn on the hot seat. When brought, it was because of his ‘defensive savant‘ reputation, but in two years, the team’s biggest weakness has been the defense.
They were linked to star running back Jeremiyah Love for the draft with Chiefs and Giants going empty-handed, but the fact is the Commanders focus will be the defense. In fact, that’s where money has been spent, and according to Quinn, that’s the plan all along.
The Commanders have made eight defensive signings already. As Quinn said, “The best teams that I’ve been a part of had waves of players that could apply pressure. We’ll need to be able to do that and we will.”
Offense is flashy, but defense is key
“Whether you’re affecting a bad throw, or you’re hitting the quarterback to try to get the ball off them,” Dan Quinn said, “if we can do that consistently, then we’ll have a chance to really play like we like.” And yes, having four first rounders in the front seven will help a lot in doing so.
Commanders overhauling the defense in free agency
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 12, 2026
free agency signings in Washington:
EDGE Charles Omenihu
EDGE Odafe Oweh
EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson
DT Tim Settle
LB Leo Chenal
CB Amik Robertson
S Nick Cross
TE Chig Okonkwo
The Commanders also spent a $100 million in bringing in Odafe Oweh for the next four years. Also, bringing all these names gives Quinn a plethora of new ideas. He can shift from a 3-4 base to a 4-3 package. It’s a versatile unit now.
The Commanders are in a weird spot
This team made a fatal mistake. As usual, when an NFL team overachieves in one season, it tends to think its closer to success than it actually is. Hence, when the Commanders went all the way to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, they fooled themselves.
They spent without a care in the world in a win-now attempt. Needless to say, it backfired. Now, they have new coordinators, plenty of new players, and an aging core. Hence, restructuring the defense is the first step to get back on track.
