ORLANDO — When Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn discusses his defensive philosophies, he’ll usually come again to at least one level: He needs to confuse the quarterback.
It ought to come as no shock, then, that this explicit philosophy would inform his seek for a quarterback. His defensive background has formed what he seems for in a signal-caller.
“It undoubtedly has,” Quinn stated, “as a result of that is the particular person you are making an attempt to [attack] probably the most.”
Over the subsequent three weeks, he and Commanders basic supervisor Adam Peters should resolve which QB to pick with No. 2 general choose within the 2024 draft — Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or even perhaps J.J. McCarthy.
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Whereas Peters will make the ultimate name on the choice, this 12 months will mark the primary time Quinn has been charged with serving to discover a quarterback as head coach of a workforce. Matt Ryan was getting into his eighth season when Quinn arrived in Atlanta in 2015.
Like several coach, Quinn needs to see psychological and bodily toughness, accuracy and arm energy. However he additionally is aware of how he likes to mess with quarterbacks as a defensive coordinator — and, because of this, what he needs to see from them.
“How rapidly can they course of one thing? ‘OK, it seems like zone but it surely’s actually man to man. It is two-high [safeties], it is one excessive,'” Quinn stated. “All of the triggers you need to get to, are you able to do it after the ball will get in his hand? Can we disguise [defenses] to make them actually must determine it out after the snap? The perfect of the most effective? ‘I can course of as I am taking the ball, as I am going by means of the play.’
“That is what I search for. How do they reply when the unblocked blitzer comes?”
Quinn additionally has relied on Peters and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury for his or her perception all through the draft course of. Kingsbury has labored with plenty of high quarterbacks through the years, from Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech to Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals and, final 12 months, Caleb Williams at USC. Peters has scouted school gamers since 2003. As an assistant basic supervisor in San Francisco, Peters was a part of a bunch that traded as much as draft Trey Lance in 2021 and chosen Brock Purdy with the ultimate choose a 12 months later.
Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys after two seasons and solely 102 move makes an attempt in San Francisco. However Purdy turned the starter halfway by means of the 2022 marketing campaign and has led the 49ers to back-to-back NFC title video games and a Tremendous Bowl look.
“You study an increasing number of each time you do it,” Peters stated, “and most of them are errors. It is actually laborious to guage quarterbacks, however you simply attempt to get higher and attempt to perceive what you probably did the final time that was actually good and what you probably did final time that was actually dangerous. Totally different processes, hopefully there’s not an entire lot of dangerous issues that you just did, however you all the time study. And so it is continually evolving and I do not suppose anyone has the magic tablet to know that one. In the event that they do let me know, I will rent them.”
However when searching for qualities that they consider can translate to the NFL, there are bins to verify.
“How rapidly can a man make a proper resolution?” Quinn stated. “How rapidly can he pace up when a blitz is coming? How rapidly can [he] anticipate when these issues occur? So, I’ve actually been aware of watching and say not simply the throwing movement or the accuracy, however what occurs? Are you able to get out of a foul play?”
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Daniels, the 2023 Heisman trophy winner out of LSU, has proven the flexibility to harm defenses along with his legs, dashing for 1,134 yards final season along with 3,812 passing yards and 40 touchdowns.
Quinn stated seeing Daniels play in opposition to SEC defenses helped in his analysis.
“Man, they’ve had ideas and appears and various things and Jayden has been capable of actually course of issues rapidly,” Quinn stated.
Maye just isn’t thought-about the identical stage of athlete as Daniels however he, too, can use his legs when wanted, dashing for 1,209 yards over his three seasons at North Carolina. Final season, he threw for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns.
“What you see is potential to create and get outdoors on the run,” Quinn stated. “If the safety breaks down, growth, he can create and go. I believed that is one in every of his superpowers for positive.”
Quinn stated evaluating the quarterback place is totally different than every other.
“With the quarterback you actually have to look at each single play to say did he get them out of a foul play right here in a run sport? Did he, you already know, transfer outdoors? So, it isn’t simply the throws, you embody every thing,” Quinn stated. “Do not simply take a look at the throws however take a look at a whole sport. And you then’ll actually have an evaluation about ‘Did you scramble to stay a passer? Do you know typically a throw away was the most effective resolution proper right here?’ It would not present that on the stat sheet, however that was really a extremely good resolution. And so these are the issues that I have been digging in on.”