Hogs Haven
A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff
Breaking down the play of FS Quan Martin ahead of a critical third year
One player flying completely under the radar for the Washington Commanders this past season and throughout the offseason has been free safety Quan Martin. With all the issues in the secondary, particularly at cornerback last season, the Commanders focused their attention on fixing the cornerback position. They traded for Marshon Lattimore during the season, signed Jonathan Jones during free agency and then drafted Trey Amos in the second round. They also lost starting strong safety Jeremy Chinn in free agency, replacing him with Will Harris.
With all that happening in the secondary, Martin has been overlooked. But he’s entering a critical third year in his rookie contract. This time next year, he’ll be eligible for an early extension, so this season could be huge for his career in Washington. He could cement himself as a foundational piece of Dan Quinn’s defense, or potentially become a piece that needs to be replaced long term.
So how did Martin play last season and what can the Commanders expect out of him going forward? Before the season, Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. heaped praise on Martin throughout the offseason, highlighting his ball skills and tackling ability frequently. In a defense that wants to play aggressively and take the ball away, those are two fundamental traits for any defensive back in this system.
The praise wasn’t just hot air either, Martin backed up what Quinn and Whitt had said during the season. Martin’s ball skills were on display in the playoffs against the Lions.
The Commanders’ offense and its third-ranked rushing attack were at their best when Robinson was a focal point of the game plan. The team was 7-1 in the regular and postseason when Robinson got 15 or more carries and 3-0 when he rushed for 100 yards. Four of the Commanders’ top six offensive outputs also saw Robinson carry the ball at least 16 times and rush for at least 60 yards.
Robinson has yet to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, but the 2022 third-round pick had his best season in Kingsbury’s system. He rushed 799 yards with eight touchdowns and averaged 4.3 yards per attempt, all three of which were career-highs, while getting just nine more carries (187) than he did in 2024 (178). Three of his top four single-game performances came last season, including 133 yards in the team’s Week 2 win over the New York Giants.
“B-Rob’s...
