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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn named a surprising tight end to replace veteran Zach Ertz and his “superpowers.”
Moving on from a veteran as decorated as Super Bowl-winner Zach Ertz is a gamble for the Washington Commanders at tight end, but head coach Dan Quinn has named a surprising candidate to replace one of Ertz’s “superpowers.”
It isn’t the tight end the Commanders spent $30 million to acquire early in 2026 NFL free agency. Instead, Quinn is “interested” in how journeyman practice squad member Lawrence Cager develops this offseason.
Quinn went out of his away to talk up Cager during the league’s annual owners meeting. He told reporters, including David Harrison of WUSA9, how “The other player we haven’t talked about, but all of us have high hopes for is Cager. He’s got uniqueness to him, man, and if there’s one player you say ‘Dan who’re you really looking to see what’s gonna take place in spring and in this training camp?’ I see this guy putting in an incredible amount of work right now, and I’m interested to see what goes with Cager.”
That’s high praise for the former New York Giants tight end, but not as lofty as Quinn suggesting Cager might even replace a key role Ertz played in the passing game.
Lawrence Cager Tipped for Zach Ertz Role
As Quinn explained to Harrison and others, “I think there’s a real value there for third down, and it’s one of Zach’s superpowers, and so when that didn’t take place, that’s a harder person to replace, you known (who) knows when to sit down, when to go. So Cager’s also one that we don’t talk about it a lot, outside the building, but I thought it’s worthy of bringing him up.”
Having Cager become a go-to option on third down is an ambitious plan for a 28-year-old who was only added to the practice squad last September. Cager bounced on and off the practice squad, but was eventually handed another futures contract in January of this year.
That move now takes on greater significance, based on Quinn’s comments. His words put the onus on the player who initially entered the pros as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets back in 2020, to finally realise his athletic potential.
Cager’s upside is obvious, since he’s a roving, 6-foot-5, 220-pound target who essentially plays like a wide receiver trapped in a tight end’s body. Quinn’s belief Cager has the skills and instincts to find the voids in coverage on football’s money down, the way Ertz often did, is a considerable leap of faith.
Ertz played a key role in star quarterback Jayden Daniels taking the league by storm and becoming NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. Daniels is sure to miss his safety valve, but the Commanders are betting on younger and more dynamic athletes to create more options at a vital position.
Dan Quinn Sees Differences in Commanders’ Tight End Room
Quinn spelled out the differences he sees on a depth chart undergoing no-small amount of change without Ertz. The change will be led by big-ticket arrival Chig Okonkwo, and Quinn touted the newcomer’s quickness, telling reporters, “I love the speed, first and foremost. ‘Cuz some people have timed speed and then demonstrated game speed, and I felt that with Chig. So you see it on deep over-routes and one that, you know, build up speed on a play-action game.”
First-year Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough could have a new plan for making the most of Okonkwo’s speed. A new strategy can also salvage former second-round draft pick Ben Sinnott’s strengths.
Those strengths include “him in the move, him in the backfield, from the line of scrimmage, off the line, and he can really run and get to the edge,” according to Quinn.
The latter also acknowledged how incumbent John Bates remains “one of the best in-line guys,” while Colson Yankoff “is somebody that we felt like has really worked hard in a dual role. So I’m looking forward to seeing what Yank can do.”
There’s more intrigue than tangible proof about what Washington’s tight ends can do this season, but Quinn at least has clear plans for the many options at his disposal. It’s a committee approach that might yield more than one surprising star.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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