Commanders' Jeremy Chinn: Safety or Linebacker?

The Washington Commanders added a safety, but perhaps Jeremy Chinn should be playing a different role.

It didn't take long for the Washington Commanders to start putting names on their roster once the open negotiating period opened on Monday. 

Of course, none of those deals can be finalized until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but assuming they all do one of the new Commanders will be safety Jeremy Chinn. 

But one reporter who covered Chinn during his time with the Carolina Panthers has questions about whether or not the safety position is the player's best fit on the field in Washington.

Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn (21) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

"The Panthers tried to use him as a versatile piece, but versatility became the enemy of consistency for Chinn," Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer told Commander Country. "He's a tremendous athlete with tweener traits, but he lacks feel in coverage and is better off near the line of scrimmage. While he is classified as a safety, he doesn't really fit the new-age interchangeable aspects of the position in modern defenses. He's actually a good fit for WILL linebacker, where he can take advantage of his size, speed and seek-and-destroy nature without much traffic to sort through in the trenches."

On the one hand, Kaye's description of Chinn as a "size, speed and seek-and-destroy" player fits right in with what coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. have said they're seeking in any player who works for them.

But on the other, in an NFL landscape that seeks out versatility more and more, players who have in the past been called 'tweeners' in a negative light are now being viewed as moveable chess pieces that give play-callers and designers a leg up over their competition. But it doesn't always work out.

We've also seen a rise in coaching staffs overly moving players around to their developmental detriment, which may have impacted Chinn's ability to be a consistent impact player for Carolina as Kaye describes. 

Truthfully, athletic ability is only one part of the equation for any player, and the way his coaches deploy him will have just as big an impact on his success for the Commanders as anything else.

Commanders Criticism? RG3 Grades Adam Peters Free Agency

At 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 220 pounds, Chinn is about 15 pounds lighter than linebacker Jabril Cox but 20 pounds heavier than safety Kamren Curl.

He's certainly going to bring a brand of physicality Washington wants, but where he brings it from will be worth watching once we see this new roster on the field.