Commanders redeem themselves with OC, DC hires

Kliff Kingsbury should be a recognizable name for most NFL fans, as he was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons (2019-22). He was Texas Tech's head coach for six seasons before that, two of which featured Patrick Mahomes as his starting quarterback.

Kingsbury didn't work out as an NFL head coach, with a tendency for late-season collapses as the Cardinals would get out-adjusted throughout the season. However, he's a proven play-caller from the "Air Raid" tree who could spice up the offense, just as he did in Arizona.

Despite his ultimate undoing, Kingsbury had a top-10 offense twice during his four seasons (sixth in 2020, eighth in 2021). And despite his pass-happy reputation, the Cardinals ran the ball well during those years, ranking top 10 in rushing yards in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Because Kingsbury served as an offensive analyst at USC in 2023, some have speculated the Commanders could make a push for USC's Caleb Williams — a quarterback with a similar playing style to Arizona's Kyler Murray — even if it means trading up for the top pick. (Washington has the second pick in the first round.) Regardless of who the QB is, though, Kingsbury should make his life easier.

In addition to Kingsbury, Washington also hired Joe Whitt Jr. to coordinate the other side of the ball. Whitt is more of an unknown as he's never held a position as high ranking before, but his background is solid. Quinn brought him from Dallas, where he coached the Cowboys' secondary from 2021-23.

Dallas' secondary, of course, was one of the best in the league at forcing turnovers during that span. Trevon Diggs led the NFL in interceptions in 2021 with 11, and in 2023, DaRon Bland set an all-time NFL record with five pick-sixes.

This could be a massive development for the Commanders' struggling secondary, and specifically for 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes. Forbes was drafted as a ball-hawking corner, but he found himself frequently in the doghouse throughout his rookie season and only made one interception. He could take a massive leap in production under Whitt.

Even if there's still some disappointment over how the head-coaching search played out, half of what makes a head coach successful is who he surrounds himself with. Quinn appears to be surrounding himself with the right people.