Daily Slop – 6 Nov 24: The Lattimore trade makes it possible for Joe Whitt to run more diverse coverage schemes

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What CB Marshon Lattimore brings to the Washington Commanders

Breaking down the game of new Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore and why Washington traded for him

It’s no secret that the Commanders cornerbacks have struggled this year. They had a tough time early in the season matching up in man coverage against teams like the Buccaneers and the Bengals, giving up an average of over 300 yards passing in those games. That forced Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. to go away from the style of play they wanted to use. They want to be able to play man coverage, commit more bodies to the pass rush and pressure the opposing quarterback to hurried passes underneath that the defensive backs can try and intercept.

Adding Lattimore should help this to an extent. The other corners need to continue to improve in this area, but Lattimore has a track record for matching up consistently well in man coverage against all sorts of receivers in all types of situations. This season is no different.

This clip shows two very similar reps of Lattimore in press coverage against a receiver running a fade. The first play comes against Falcons speedster Darnell Mooney. Lattimore isn’t super aggressive at the line. He doesn’t look to jam Mooney or disrupt him largely because he doesn’t need to. Lattimore has enough speed to feel comfortable running down the field if he needs to, so instead of trying to jam the receiver at the line, he displays great patience. His feet remain calm at the snap and wait for Mooney to declare his intentions. Once Mooney commits to an outside release, Lattimore opens his hips and turns to run with him. Lattimore stays on top of the route the entire way, placing his hand on the shoulder of the receiver to gently guide him towards the sideline. By staying on top of the route, Lattimore is able to force Mooney to work wider and wider, closing any potential throwing window as Mooney is eventually forced to the sideline.

The second play of the clip is very similar. This time, the Bucs send Sterling Shepard out to Lattimore’s side and have him try to run a fade. It plays out almost exactly like the previous play did, with Lattimore staying patient at the line, forcing the receiver to declare his intentions before reacting. Once the receiver works outside, Lattimore opens his hips, stays on top of the route and guides the receiver to the sideline, closing the throwing window and taking the route away.

It’s not just on fade routes that Lattimore’s press coverage ability stands out. Cornerbacks like Lattimore often are left on the side of the single receiver with three receivers on the other side of the field. In that situation, the single receiver will typically run a form of basic cross, getting 10-15 yards of depth before breaking over the middle of the field to give the quarterback an option to work back to on the back side of the play. Lattimore knows this and has been playing these routes for years now, so is very effective at covering them.

Here are two examples of Lattimore covering back side basic crosses. The first comes from Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Lattimore lines up in press coverage but again we see him patient at the snap. He’s not looking to step forwards towards the receiver and jam him at the line, instead he waits for the receiver to declare which way he’s releasing. Once the receiver declares his release inside, that’s when Lattimore gets more physical. He gets both hands on the receiver to disrupt his release and force him further inside than he wants to go. That knocks the receiver off his path and messes up the timing of the play.

Lattimore sticks tight to the receiver all the way down the field, sitting on his outside hip as the receiver works vertical. At about 15 yards, the receiver attempts to cut inside and break away from Lattimore. However, Lattimore knows exactly what’s coming and stays right next to the receiver as he breaks over the middle. Patrick Mahomes was always taking the deep shot on the other side of the field anyway, but Lattimore had the basic cross on the back side completely locked down.

The second play of the clip is similar. This time Lattimore faces Mooney again, who offers a bit more speed than Smith-Schuster, but the process is largely the same. Mooney attempts to use a stutter step release off the snap, stuttering and faking a release outside. Some corners might bite on this and open up, panicking about getting burned down the sideline, but Lattimore shows good patience with his feet, trusting his speed to recover if he needs it. With the stutter step not working, Mooney admits defeat and works back inside on his crossing route. At that point, Lattimore attaches to the route and gets physical again. He sticks tight to Mooney in and out of the break, taking away any chance of the ball being thrown his way.

Lattimore is clearly proficient in press coverage and shows great patience at the line which enables him to force the receiver to declare their intentions before he then locks on and sticks tight to them throughout the route. This is a trait that Washington has not had in its secondary for years. That alone makes this a big addition to the Commanders secondary. But Lattimore is only able to be so patient at the line because he has great speed.

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The Athletic (paywall)

NFL trade grades: Commanders make deadline day splash by acquiring Marshon Lattimore

Commanders acquire CB Marshon Lattimore from Saints

Terms: The New Orleans Saints traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders for 2025 third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks. (The sixth-round pick was originally the Saints’ selection, which the Commanders previously acquired in the John Ridgeway deal.)

Why they made the move

They needed help in the secondary, and Lattimore is a ferocious competitor who doesn’t shy away from marquee receivers. He’ll likely draw A.J. Brown when the Commanders meet the Philadelphia Eagles twice down the stretch, and Lattimore will be a valuable piece if they’re going to win a playoff game for the first time in 19 years.

Commanders grade: A-

The Commanders, who are closing in on their first winning record since 2016 and potentially just their third 10-win season since 2000, aren’t taking anything for granted. Lattimore, 28, is a four-time Pro Bowler who should be part of the team’s long-term plans.

Lattimore is under contract for two more years, including base salaries of $16 million in 2025 and $16.5 million in 2026. That’s a friendly price for a No. 1 cornerback, particularly with a quarterback on a rookie contract.

There is some injury risk here, however. Lattimore missed a couple games with a hamstring injury and missed 17 games over the previous two seasons.

But the Commanders had extra draft capital due to being sellers last year, and this was a move worth making.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders make a big move, trading for Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore

To upgrade its defense, Washington sends the Saints third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks. It gets back a fifth-rounder, in addition to Lattimore.

“If we had a chance to elevate who we are and how we go about doing our business, we’re going to do that,” Coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Ironically, he was college teammates [at Ohio State] with some of the guys we have here in Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin and some others. … We’re really pumped to add him to the crew.”

Three months ago, such a trade seemed inconceivable in Washington. The Commanders had just started a massive rebuild, overhauling the front office, coaching staff and roster. They were a mystery team and seemed to enjoy being the unknown.

But nine games in, there’s no mystery about the Commanders’ rise, which is due in large part to Daniels. The 23-year-old is on track to win offensive rookie of the year honors, if not more, and has helped transform Washington from an afterthought (and, in recent years, a blemish) to a contender with a prolific offense.

Among the glaring weaknesses, however, was the back end of the defense.

The Commanders drafted cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the first round in 2023, believing his Football Bowl Subdivision record of six interceptions returned for touchdowns at Mississippi State would translate to more takeaways for Washington.

But Forbes had a rocky first season, with injuries and performance issues, and hasn’t fared much better this year.

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A fan vote – Midseason Offensive Rookie of the Year

Click on the link in the tweet to vote

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The Athletic (paywall)

Trading for Marshon Lattimore shows Commanders recognize their potential

“I find this a very similar situation from the one we had in San Francisco in 2017 — a lot of great similarities. … Ultimately, we’re going to build through the draft here and supplement through free agency,” Peters said at his introductory news conference. “We’re going to be very process-driven and diligent in who we select in free agency. But we’re going to build through the draft here.”

Acquiring cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline shows that Peters recognized the assignment has changed.

If healthy, Lattimore would become Washington’s No. 1 corner. His presence improves chances against upcoming wide receivers such as A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb, and his entrance allows St-Juste and Sainristil to play more natural roles. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. can play more aggressive man coverage schemes with Lattimore. That should enable more bodies to aid the 29th-ranked run defense, without hopefully altering the camaraderie that’s played a prominent role in the team’s turnaround.

The bonus with Lattimore is this acquisition goes beyond this season. His cost includes salaries for 2025 ($16 million) and 2026 ($16 million) from a five-year, $97.6 million contract extension signed in 2021.

Peters will still have seven draft picks remaining in 2025, including the Miami Dolphins’ third-rounder received from the Eagles in the Dotson trade, and significant salary-cap space. That’s enough to continue building while taking advantage of Daniels’ play on a rookie contract.

At some point, Washington would need to acquire significant cornerback help. This 7-2 record and Daniels’ efforts accelerated the retooling job. In the end, Peters accepted the new assignment.

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Upcoming opponent

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers trade for Jets WR Mike Williams

The Steelers finally acquire a wide receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded for New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams. Pittsburgh is sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Jets in exchange for the veteran deep threat.

Williams will now likely slot in as the No. 2 boundary receiver opposite of George Pickens. This allows Van Jefferson to play more of a utility boundary role while also being used as a power slot receiver. Overall, this move is a good one for the Steelers that makes their receiving corps better.

Williams was drafted No. 7 overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Clemson. In 65 career games, he has totaled 321 catches for 4,972 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers acquire veteran edge rusher ahead of NFL trade deadline

Another move for Pittsburgh!

The Steelers have made a move to bolster their pass rush ahead of Week 10, acquiring edge rusher Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a seventh round pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported.

Smith, a former second-round pick of the now-Washington Commanders, is approaching his 32nd birthday in the weeks to come, but still has some gas left in the tank in his 10th NFL season, though it’s been one of his slower campaigns at this point in the season.

Per PFF, he’s totaled 10 pressures through nine games, including 2.5 sacks and two tackles for a loss. Steelers fans will be happy to see that he isn’t credited with a single missed tackle this year — an area where the team has struggled.

Smith has totaled 17+ QB hits and 8+ sacks in each of the past three seasons with the Packers, including at least one forced fumble in each of those campaigns.

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Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Commanders trade for Marshon Lattimore

Check out the top photos of newly-acquired Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore. (Photos via The Associated Press)

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