Dan Quinn knows having the right people in the mix is paramount.
The Commanders are 7-2. They display wonderful chemistry, buy in, and are often heard referring to “the brotherhood.”
However, a decision was made Tuesday to bring in a new player—not just any player. This is not simply a new guy going onto the practice squad. No, Marshon Lattimore will be a starter, and he is accustomed to being a big fish in a small pond.
Quinn was asked how bringing a player like Lattimore might affect this team’s good chemistry.
“Yeah, (GM) Adam (Peters) is very mindful of that, and he knows the importance of that with the team and he knows I share that opinion with him, asserted Quinn. “Having the right people is the first thing, if that’s the first thing to get right. And so that’s where, if that part’s not right, then that’s the end of the line.”
Quinn went a bit further, revealing that it is important to set healthy boundaries and expectations for both new players and all remaining players.
“That goes for everybody that we bring in here, and we want to make sure coming here is unique and a really cool experience. And I told him today in front of the team, I said, ‘You can ask anybody here, man, we’re all here to help and support you and onboard you fast.'”
It was also important for Lattimore to learn that he is expected to treat everyone on Quinn’s team with respect, whether they are rookies, hall of famers, or practice squad players.
“We’re all on the same page here, so it doesn’t have to be, ‘I’m not going to talk to him as rookie.’ That’s no, no, no, that ain’t how we roll, man. Everybody on this team, we’re here to help support anybody that comes in and the message will be the same from all the guys.”
Dan Quinn understands that being an effective leader means conveying responsibilities, expectations, and cultural norms to your teammates in the organization.
