Scott Pioli has seen a lot of winning in his career as an NFL executive, and as a three-time Super Bowl champion GM, he knows what winning moves look like – and the 7-2 Commanders made a big one Tuesday by acquiring CB Marshon Lattimore.
“I figured (Lattimore) would would be a move that Adam and DQ were trying to make because it's one of the few spots on their team where they could find an upgrade or improvement that was available,” Pioli told the Junkies Wednesday. “I was most surprised by the impact that it was gonna have on the salary cap of the Saints - it almost looked like a contract and a circumstance that was not to be able to be done – but if you're a Commanders fan, who cares? We got our guy, we're better, and he's gonna help improve that football team. Lattimore fits right into the way he wants things done, what he wants done; there are certain veteran players that he wants to have around for a multitude of reasons.”
So, now with Lattimore in tow, how do the Commanders stack up with the best of the NFC?
“I’m not good at that and don’t get into those things, because the way it is today isn’t how it will be a month from now and then into the playoffs,” Pioli said. “I think they're a good football team that appears to be good and also getting better, but we see this every year that where teams are in October and November don’t necessarily matter – what matters is I think the Commanders are a good football team that are getting better, and everyone should be encouraged.”
Perhaps the best part of the move, despite the multiple picks they had to give up, is that Lattimore is a four-time Pro Bowler who is also NOT a rental, as he is under contract for 2025 and 2026 as well.
“People very often won't talk about the transitional deals that need to last a few years; they've got him through ’26 and he’s going to be a part of their football team and culture for the next couple of years, and he’s still at an age where they can get a number of very good years out of him, so to me this is a smart move,” Pioli said. “I don’t think that they gave up too much, and Adam Peters started off at entry level in New England, so one of the things about our culture that he understood was building for the now and building for the future, right? This isn’t just Adam or Dan Quinn, this is a collaboration and they have a lot of aligned and shared ideas.”
So what does Lattimore bring to the table?
“He’s 28, he's a really good football player who has played in big games, and he’s got tools and talent – but he also plays in a style like Dan Quinn always talks about,” Pioli said. “We’ve seen how good Marshon can play; he likes to play aggressive, he likes to push the envelope. He sometimes gets a little chippy, but that's part of the personality and attitude that Dan Quinn wants, and that's why he's important to this football team and really going to help them. Quinn likes to play fast and furious, and that's what Lattimore does, and that's gonna just again accentuate and show his locker room these are the type of players that we are looking for.”
Take a listen to Pioli’s entire visit, as he also talks about how impressed he is by Jayden Daniels, thoughts ahead to Lattimore covering A.J.
Brown in Week 11, and more!