Latest news with #DanQuinn
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Commanders UDFA Seen As Contender to Make 53-Man Roster
Commanders UDFA Seen As Contender to Make 53-Man Roster originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In a division with CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Malik Nabers, George Pickens and DeVonta Smith, the Washington Commanders know that they have to field a strong secondary to get any chance to be competitive. Advertisement Their defense made major strides in 2024 under coach Dan Quinn. After having the worst unit in 2023, the Commanders secondary ranked third in the league in 2024. Having a better offense certainly helps, but Quinn's work has seen staggering results. Washington isn't done, either. They added Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline last year, and hope that second-round rookie Trey Amos can have an immediate impact as well. There's one more player that Washington may have at their disposal. And he's a UDFA that is turning heads at OTAs. CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso believes that Fentrell Cypress II, the cornerback out of Florida State, has a great chance to make the 53-man roster for the Commanders. Advertisement "Fentrell Cypress II is a man-coverage specialist with the athletic attributes to play that role in the NFL," Trapasso wrote. "While not ridiculously long, the former Florida State star is 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds with 4.43-second speed in the 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical jump and tremendous agility illustrated by his 6.84-second time in the three-cone drill at the Seminole pro day. "Sometimes that natural talent is all a cornerback needs to impress coaches enough to go from undrafted to on the roster in Year 1." If there's a coaching staff who can develop unsure talent in the secondary, it is Quinn. It is what makes Washington such an interesting team going into the 2025 season. ... and made more interesting if a UDFA like Cypress makes the roster. Related: Commanders Trade Paying Off As A Steal as Deebo Stars at OTAs Related: Commanders Rookie Putting On Show for Kingsbury at OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Commanders' roster ranked outside the top 10
The Washington Commanders' 2024 season was nothing short of magical. It was an unexpected result of mixing new ingredients together, ending up with a unicorn instead of a cake. The best possible outcome of combining GM Adam Peters' scouting ability, head coach Dan Quinn's leadership skills, and Jayden Daniels' ability to inspire and elevate the players around him. It wasn't a perfect season, ending at the NFC Championship game, but it was a far cry from winning just three games in the previous season. And, it rekindled the Commanders' fans' hopes that former owner Dan Snyder had previously squashed. Advertisement Peters and the rest of the organization understood the assignment this offseason: solidify the defense, give Daniels more weapons, and protect the quarterback. They've answered all of those questions and, as analyzed by Pro Football Focus, have earned the 11th-best roster in the NFL. The projected starting lineup includes each player's PFF grade from 2024. The Commanders' biggest strength in 2024 was Jayden Daniels. He ranked fifth among all qualified quarterbacks with a 90.6 PFF grade, and he led the league with a 1.5% turnover-worthy play rate, plus forced 52 missed tackles, which led all quarterbacks. As Daniels will return to the Commanders in 2025 (and many years in the future), his presence alone improves the roster dramatically. The additions the Commanders made during the offseason were helpful, too. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: PFF doesn't believe the Commanders have a top-10 roster
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Commanders hope to benefit from continuity on Dan Quinn's staff in 2025
What is one of the really bright spots for the Commanders this offseason?It's easy to always look to the draft and talk about the players selected in your team's draft. However, isn't every team optimistic this time of year, thinking (and hoping) that the players they have selected are a good fit for their team and that the improvement will show up this upcoming season? Commanders fans are certainly not immune to this. It is simply natural to hope so strongly in your team that you are optimistic about the about when you look at the coaches? Dan Quinn being selected as head coach certainly did not ignite the fan base with excitement. In fact, there was as much scrutiny as hopeful anticipation regarding Quinn. But that wasn't his fault. Fans unfairly brought up the 28-3 halftime lead the Falcons blew in the Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. But fans could have just as easily looked at the other side of the coin and been happy to have a coach who had led his team to a Super was also some skepticism regarding defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who had not been a coordinator previously. The defense was suspect at best in many games last season. The Commanders' front office knew Whitt needs some studs, and moves like bringing in corner Marshon Lattimore, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, and the drafting of corner Trey Amos are expected to help Whitt's going unnoticed is that the Commanders bring back every single coach on Dan Quinn's staff from the 2024 season. I suppose someone could negatively respond that this is not necessarily a good thing. But yes, NFL teams were seeking to hire Kliff Kingsbury and David Blough this could be a big plus for the Commanders in terms of continuity and not needing to give time for a position coach to bring in his new schemes or unfamiliar language/vocabulary. It also points to the fact that the head coach of the Commanders, Dan Quinn, is skilled in how he relates to this staff. He is not simply their boss, though that is an important boundary to maintain. Quinn relates well enough that it appears each and every member of his staff wanted to return for means not only will the same coaches be in place this season, but they will also have the same roles they had in Quinn's first season in Washington. This is significant because coaches often remain but may or may not be as prepared for a different role when given that new everyone like to talk about how any move affects or helps Jayden Daniels, then having his entire offensive coaching staff return in the same roles for Daniels' second NFL season certainly looks to be a major blessing for Daniels, don't you think?This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders banking on continuity in 2025 season
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Commanders HC Dan Quinn enjoys 1st Mystics game courtside
The post Commanders HC Dan Quinn enjoys 1st Mystics game courtside appeared first on ClutchPoints. Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn made a surprising appearance at Friday's game between the Mystics and New York Liberty. Advertisement Quinn is enjoying the 2025 NFL offseason as he will soon prepare for the upcoming season. The Commanders are coming off a remarkable 2024 campaign in which they finished with a 12-5 record. They clinched a playoff berth in the NFC, proceeding to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions en route to the NFC Championship game. They eventually lost 55-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to win Super Bowl 59. In the meantime, Quinn will continue enjoying his summer as he sat courtside for the WNBA matchup between the Mystics and Liberty. How Mystics played against Liberty Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Unfortunately for the Mystics, they couldn't have Dan Quinn leave the arena with a win as they lost in an 85-63 blowout to the Liberty. Advertisement Washington struggled to be efficient with their shot selection. New York, boasting a perfect 4-0 record prior to the matchup, suffocated their opponents on defense. The Mystics were only successful on 28.4% of their total shot attempts, including 25% from 3-point range. Three players scored in double-digits on Washington's behalf. Brittney Sykes led the way with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. She shot 5-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Kiki Iriafen came next with 12 points and seven rebounds while Sonia Citron provided 10 points and four rebounds. With the loss, Washington fell to 3-4 on the season but stay at third place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are now 1.5 games behind the Atlanta Dream and 3.5 games behind the Liberty. The Mystics will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They will face the Indiana Fever on June 3 at 7 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Washington legend joins coaching staff for one day
When the Washington Commanders opened Phase 3 of their offseason program this week, they had a special assistant coach. Team legend Brian Mitchell spent Wednesday working with Washington's returners in practice. Before any fans get their hopes up, Mitchell isn't joining the Commanders' staff. Mitchell joined Washington for one day, offering his expertise to his former team. Mitchell, who co-hosts the local radio show, "BMitch and Finlay," on 106.7 The Fan, has lived in the Washington area since his NFL retirement. Advertisement You can't blame the Commanders for wanting Mitchell to work with the returners. Mitchell holds the NFL record with 14,014 kick return yards and 4,999 punt return yards, and is second all-time, behind only Jerry Rice, with 23,330 career all-purpose yards. Yet, somehow, Mitchell is still not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Devin Hester made the Hall of Fame as a return man last year and gave Mitchell a shoutout, saying he also belongs in Canton, Ohio. Washington head coach Dan Quinn was thrilled to have Mitchell. "Brian Mitchell came through and spent some time with returners today," Quinn said on Wednesday. "With over 19,000 return yards and 13 special teams touchdowns, I had invited him in the winter: 'Hey man, do you mind coming through for a day and hanging out with us?' And so couldn't think of a more ideal person to share some insights and some ideas about returning. I'd asked him, he had not returned a kick until he got to the NFL. Now that was just wild man. Like how, what a work ethic it takes to say, yeah, I'll figure it out. Like, I'll find my way whether I'm playing running back or returning kicks or punts or covering kicks, like that's a real one. So, all that said, let's get rocking with you guys and start the day.' Among Washington's top return candidates is rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane. The fourth-round pick from Virginia Tech could make an immediate impact for the Commanders in the return game. Second-year wide receiver Luke McCaffrey did a solid job as Washington's kickoff returner late last season when taking over for injured running back Austin Ekeler. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: NFL record holder joins Commanders' staff for a day
