With the NFL Combine officially kicked off with media interviews beginning today, Washington Commanders coordinator David Blough drew praise from a pair of head coaches within the NFC North
Much has been made about the coordinator inexperience on both sides of the ball, but new Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough drew praise from a pair of head coaches on day one of the NFL scouting combine, including from one who tried to hire him this offseason.
“He was one of the guys I wanted to bring in. Coach Quinn and those guys went ahead and named him [offensive coordinator], which is smart by them,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said at the podium on Tuesday. “I think Blough is a young rising coach in this league. I’ve been around him firsthand and he’s another one that he’s sharp. He understands football and quarterback play, he knows the run game. And he’s a detailed guy and he’s competitive. He’s very competitive.”
The Lions pursuit of Blough accelerated Washington’s search after head coach Dan Quinn tabbed the third year coach as the replacement within one week of dismissing Kliff Kingsbury as the offensive coordinator. The defensive coordinator search would span nearly one month with a long list of candidates in and out of the building before being scratched off, but the added time gave Blough a chance to settle into his new role.
With Brian Johnson also departing for another NFC East team, the arrival of Blough is also expected to lead to a shift in offensive philosophy with the Commanders shying away from the up-tempo offense to a more traditional under center scheme, opening up the passing game while veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin is expected to be a focal point of the offense.While time will tell how successful that is, Blough’s ability to relate to players, evidenced by his close connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels, could be an asset in an offseason filled with putting the pieces together.
Even Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson saw the potential in Blough from their time together in Detroit with Johnson serving as the Lions offensive coordinator when Blough ended his playing career with the Lions in 2023.
“You can kind of tell early on that coaching was going to be his calling, as well,” Johnson said at the podium on Tuesday. “He’s got a unique ability to relate to those guys and it doesn’t matter what position it is, those guys, they all rally to him. He certainly did that when he was a player, he elevates the people around him and I think that’s always the biggest compliment you can give somebody.”