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No one anticipated Dan Quinn could lead the Washington Commanders to an NFC Conference Championship appearance in his first season as their head coach. Not only did he do a good job coaching, he also picked the right offensive coordinator to pair with Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Jayden Daniels.
Before Quinn accepted the Commanders’ head coaching job, he spent three seasons as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Soon enough, he could be recruiting one of his former players to Washington.
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Dan Quinn ties could help Washington Commanders sign Osa Odighizuwa
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Dan Quinn’s defenses ranked in the top 10 in yards and points allowed in all three of his seasons calling plays for the Dallas Cowboys’ defense. Yet, as good as Quinn’s Commanders were this past season, his defense could still use a bit of help after ranking 18th in points allowed and 13th in yards allowed.
One potential solution could be found in free agency, where ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Commanders could target Cowboys defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, whom Quinn coached for three seasons in Dallas.
“Teams we’ve talked to think Odighizuwa is the top defensive tackle because of his versatility, durability and pass-rush traits. Washington is a team to potentially watch — coach Dan Quinn has been big fan of Odighizuwa from their Dallas days together.”
ESPN on Commanders/Odighizuwa
One area where Odighizuwa absolutely excels in is getting in the face of quarterbacks, where he ranked third among all defensive tackles with 60 pressures this past season. In doing so, Pro Football Focus graded the Cowboys defensive interior lineman as the 11th-best player at his position in terms of his pass rush grade.
With Quinn already having a good understanding of what helps make Odighizuwa stand apart from the competition, he could be someone who makes an immediate impact in Washington next season.