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Dan Quinnarrived this past February to the Washington Commanders with the goal of taking the team to the postseason. The mandate could be difficult to fulfill, but the head coach has already taken the first step by overloading his defense, says former team cornerback Fred Smoot.
Smoot had two stints with the then Washington Redskins, from 2001 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2009. In his nine-year career, he made 450 tackles, 21 interceptions, and forced five fumbles.
Speaking to the Deep Dive podcast, Smoot said the Commanders' defense is faster than their offense, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels. The rookie, the second overall pick in the 2024 Draft, is preparing to lead the team's offense, and according to Quinn, his progress is surprising.
However, according to Smoot, what stands out during the offseason is the arrival of defensive talent that makes the unit led by coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. the team's best weapon.
A lightning-fast defense
"Defense goes faster than any other side of the ball. I expect them to hit the ground rolling," said Smoot in his talk with Deep Dive. "They got three interiors, the two guys we have plus drafted one. We brought in edge rushers," he explained further.
He recalled that the five starting linebackers are among the best in the NFL, which will greatly help the deep defense. "I expect them to start a lot faster than the offense," explained the former player.
The arrival of Daniels, running back Austin Ekeler, and receivers Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey will give depth to the offense. However, the defense boasts the likes of tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, linebacker Bobby Wagner, and defensive end Dorance Armstrong.
The defensive secondary also has some great talent, such as cornerbacks Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Benjamin St-Juste, and safeties Dominique Hampton and Jeremy Chinn.
Quinn is a defensive genius
Talent is one of the cornerstones of a team. The other is the ability of the head coach. In this case, Quinn is considered a defensive genius, as he already demonstrated with the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys.
During his time as defensive coordinator of the Seahawks, Quinn was the architect of the so-called "Legion of Boom," led by cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas. This defense led the Seahawks to defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
From Seattle, he came to Dallas, where he turned the Cowboys' defense into the best in the NFL, at a time when the Commanders' defense was struggling to produce results.