Dan Quinn’s move from Washington to Dallas brought with it a number of former Cowboys.
It’s a blast from further in his past, though, that’s he’s expecting to help ignite his Commanders defense in Year 1.
By signing Bobby Wagner in free agency, Quinn reunited with a linebacker he coached in 2013 and 2014 at the dawn of a Hall of Fame career — one that’s coming full circle now with Wagner set to lead in Washington.
“He’s all that I love about football,” Quinn told SiriusXM NFL Radio about Wagner this week. “He’s a tackler. He’s aggressive, he’s tough, he’s smart, he takes care of himself. So what I’m hopeful to see, and I’m certain it will happen, is he’s a multiplier. Because ‘This is how the standard is. This is how I operate. This is the process to go through.’ So, if you’re a young linebacker being around somebody, this is the exact type of linebacker you’d want to be around.
“Seeing that standard of how we operate, I thought that was really important, so that’s why I’m so lit up about getting him here. It’s been a long time since I’ve coached him. I coached against him a lot. I remember circling that number and said, ‘Do not let this person ruin this game, you know, with 15 tackles.’ It’s really good to get a chance to work with him and some of the other guys.”
If the rest of Washington’s defenders even sniff the standard Wagner set over the course of his career, it will be considered a success.
Heading into his 13th season, Wagner is already a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, with a Super Bowl, nine Pro Bowls and six first-team All-Pro campaigns on his resume. The consummate leader, somehow still building on past seasons, he set a career high with 183 tackles in 2023 — more than anyone else in the NFL for a third time in his career.
Linebacker Cody Barton, now on the Broncos, and safety Kamren Curl, now on the Rams, were No. 1 and 2 on the Commanders in tackles last year with 121 and 115, respectively. That leaves Jamin Davis as the team’s tackle leader remaining from 2023; his 89 tackles trailed Wagner by nearly 100.
Wagner’s sure tackling and being forever in the right place will need to spread throughout the new Commanders defense under Quinn if the unit is to make an impactful enough leap after hitting rock bottom during the previous season. Washington ranked 32nd in both points and yards allowed in 2023, with the league’s worst defense against the pass and the sixth-worst against the run.
He won’t rebuild alone, of course. Quinn recruited two veteran edge rushers from Dallas in Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, and other outside signings like LB Frankie Luvu and S Jeremy Chinn should also aid fortification. But none carry the banner of football excellence like Wagner, even now entering his age-34 season.
Thanks to Quinn being a first-year head coach, Wagner and the rest of the Commanders vets can begin establishing the groundwork early, starting the first day of meetings and strength of conditioning on April 2 and holding a voluntary minicamp from April 22-24 before the draft.
“More than anything, how does this connection take place with the team,” Quinn said. “How do you mesh him? And having the chance to come in a little early I think helps. Because now some of these standards are in place before the rookies get to the building. Now there’s some mentoring that can take place. ‘This is how we’ll do things. This is what you need to do.’ So having a month or so before the rookies get there, in this instance, is really helpful.”
With any luck, a culture will take hold, and a turnaround will follow.
