Commanders' biggest storyline heading into camp: Coordinator changes

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The Washington Commanders' rookies reported to training camp on Friday, and the veterans'll join them on Tuesday, July 28. This signals the end of the NFL's dead time and ushers in the chaos of training camp and preseason, followed by the start of the regular season on September 9.

The Commanders have undergone several changes during the offseason, and there are a multitude of questions surrounding the team. ESPN tasked its NFL Nation with coming up with each team's biggest storyline heading into training camp. Commanders reporter John Keim looked at things from a different angle this time.

Biggest storyline: Will the coordinator changes pay off? The Commanders have first-year coordinators on offense (David Blough) and defense (Daronte Jones). There's reason for optimism, but it's also a gamble as Dan Quinn enters a pivotal third season. Washington needed a change on defense after ranking bottom-six in multiple categories (and last in yards). The Commanders have added more pass rushers. Strong seasons from holdovers tackle Daron Payne and linebacker Frankie Luvu would help. Offensively, the team wanted to evolve and create bigger plays via play-action -- hence the move from Kliff Kingsbury to Blough. If the moves pay off, Washington could have a fun season.

Most of the storylines around the Commanders have been regarding the roster. Is the defense really better? Can the defense get on the same page before the season starts? Have they done enough to support Jayden Daniels? Do they have enough offensive weapons?

However, all of those roster changes mean nothing if the coordinators don't do their jobs. Dan Quinn is only one piece of the coaching staff, and while he's responsible for the entire team, he has to have coordinators who don't need their hands held. If Daronte Jones and David Blough step up this season and get their units ready, the Commanders will undoubtedly surprise many across the league in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' biggest storyline heading into camp: Coordinator changes

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