Tag: cole holcomb

Injury Report: Terry McLaurin misses practice with thigh injury; Steven Sims still out

Washington is still practicing without Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims, though LB Cole Holcomb returned to full participation on Wednesday.

Oh yea, there is still football practice going on in Washington.

Despite all of the drama surrounding the quarterback position, Washington released an injury report following Wednesday’s practice, listing both wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims as DNP with nagging injuries to a thigh (McLaurin) and a toe (Sims).

DE Chase Young also did not practice as he continues to work back from a groin strain, while CB Greg Stroman and RG Wes Schweitzer missed as well.

DL Jonathan Allen was limited with a knee injury, and Cole Holcomb returned to full participation after being held out for most of the season thus far.

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Injury Report: Steven Sims and Morgan Moses questionable, Cole Holcomb out vs. Browns

Cole Holcomb will be held out of the game against Cleveland on Sunday, while Steven Sims and Morgan Moses are both questionable.

The final injury report for the Washington Football Team has been released ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, and it looks quite a bit better than it did earlier in the week, with only Saahdiq Charles and Cole Holcomb being ruled out for Sunday’s game.

WR Steven Sims Jr. and RT Morgan Moses have been listed as questionable to play. Both were on the field at practice going through full work on Friday, but they are a couple of players who will be game-time decisions in Cleveland.

Yet again, we were graced with the fact that Kendall Fuller’s name was not listed on the final injury report, which will likely lead to him starting his first game back in Washington on Sunday. The secondary could really use it with a matchup against Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

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Injury Report: Cole Holcomb ruled ‘Out’ for Sunday; Kendall Fuller ‘Questionable’

Cole Holcomb will miss the Week 2 game against Arizona, while CB Kendall Fuller will hopefully be able to suit up at long last.

After a week of not practicing in Washington, LB Cole Holcomb has officially been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Veteran LB Thomas Davis, who did not play last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, practiced all week but is questionable to play this weekend.

Kendall Fuller is another player who suited up throughout the week after missing the season-opener, but he is still listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Arizona. Fuller is a key player in Washington’s secondary, and they desperately need him to return.

Fuller has been dealing with an injury for several weeks, but he seemingly took some big steps in recover this past week and will hopefully be able to suit up and help slow down Arizona’s dynamic receiving corps.

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Injury Report: Kendall Fuller, Thomas Davis full-participants in practice

The first injury report of Week 2 shows that Kendall Fuller and Thomas Davis may be able to return to action this Sunday against Arizona.

After being forced to sit out the 2020 season opener last week against the Eagles, both CB Kendall Fuller and LB Thomas Davis were listed as full participants in practice on Wednesday, giving the team hopes that they will be able to suit up and play on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

LB Cole Holcomb, who played last week but was limited due to a minor knee injury, was not a full go at practice on Wednesday, and his situation will be monitored over the next few days as Washington prepares to head to the desert.

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The possibility of getting both Fuller and Davis back will be massive for this Washington defense that at times struggled to contain Philly’s receivers in the secondary. The tight ends were able to run free through the middle of the defense, and receivers were often open deep, getting behind Washington’s cornerbacks at times. The addition of both Fuller and Davis will directly help fix this problem, and it comes at a great time with Arizona’s deadly passing game rearing to go.

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Steve Russ calls Cole Holcomb a ‘raw talent’ and a ‘football junkie’

Holcomb had an impressive rookie season in Washington, and the new coaching staff sees the raw talent that he has to work with.

There were a number of players in Washington who were able to make a strong impression during the 2019 season despite the underwhelming team performance, and the main goal going forward is finding a way to hold onto that young talent and figure out a way to maximize their impact going forward.

One of the most impressive players was rookie linebacker Cole Holcomb, who was drafted in the fifth round, but went on to earn his spot as a starting linebacker and work his way into a pivotal role on the defense. Going into year two, Holcomb is expected to keep that role, now alongside veteran Thomas Davis and Jon Bostic, and the feeling around the team is that he will be an important part of the defense.

When linebackers coach Steve Russ spoke to the media on Tuesday, he definitely had some encouraging words to say about Holcomb.

The linebacker position as a whole was a bit of a crapshoot as far as expected production goes in 2019, but for the most part, they delivered when called upon. Now, with three successful NFL linebackers coaching the defense — Russ, Ron Rivera, and Jack Del Rio — expectations are much higher, as a talented group will become a disciplined group as well. If all goes right, Holcomb can quickly turn into one of the staples of the team, and a well-known draft success.

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Top quotes: LB coach Steve Russ looks to mold a talented group of linebackers

Steve Russ will have a lot of talent to work with going forward in Washington, and he feels comfortable that he can find production.

If you were to talk about coaches in Washington who might have to deal with some micro-management, Steve Russ would be near the top of the list. None of that is to say that he is in need of help coaching the linebackers, where he will be starting this season, but when you consider the fact that both head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio played linebacker at a high level in the NFL, it would be understandable for them to give their input.

When talking to the media on Tuesday, Russ addressed that relationship that he has with both coaches, and details what he has seen from the group of players that he’s been with for the past week in training camp, while also giving an update on Reuben Foster and his progress. Here are some of the best quotes from that talk:

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Is LB Cole Holcomb the Redskins’ biggest secret weapon?

Holcomb had a strong rookie season, and all signs are pointed up for the LB as he stands as Washington’s best unknown player.

When thinking about the Washington Redskins defense, it is obviously the defensive line that comes to mind first. After that, you’d probably rank the linebacking core as second-best, with players like Thomas Davis, and potentially Reuben Foster headlining that group. However, few people outside of Washington know that the real guy to keep your eye on going forward is Cole Holcomb, a second-year player who had a breakout rookie season and is slotted for more triumphs going forward.

A true secret-weapon, according to Bleacher Report:

Washington Redskins linebacker Cole Holcomb is another young player who was thrown into the fire in 2019. Forced into a full-time role by injuries, Holcomb tallied 105 tackles as a rookie. Only safety Landon Collins had more stops on the team, and Holcomb’s 74 solo tackles led all rookies’ tallies.

“He played out in space a little bit and came back into the box and played linebacker,” Rivera said. “Those are the kind of guys that you want, because you want that position flexibility.”

Holcomb may have struggled in coverage, but his range was one of the more appealing things about his game coming out of college. Provided that experience brings with it improvement, Holcomb has a good chance to emerge from a murky position group as a three-down starter for what could be a sneaky good defense.

If Holcomb can continue this upward trend and make a name for himself in the Redskins defense, which is expected to be among the best in the league, there is no chance he remains a secret for long.

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A core set of players have been set for Redskins ahead of 2020 season

The Redskins have identified their core set of players that they plan to take into the 2020 season, according to Kyle Smith.

For any team that is starting fresh and working with some new voices at the very top, there is a checklist that you must go through in order to get the ball rolling again in the offseason.

This is very true of the Washington Redskins, who are virtually starting anew at 90 percent of the major positions in the coaching staff and front office this season. Since Ron Rivera took over, and many of the front office members transitioned into their new roles, we’ve been operating in the dark as far as assuming what the Redskins have been up to. However, when Kyle Smith, the VP of Player Personnel, chatted with the media on Tuesday at the 2020 NFL Combine, we got to get a glimpse at what’s been going on behind closed doors in Ashburn.

Near the top of the list of ‘to-do’s’ for the Redskins was determining a core of players that they plan to build around for the future. It could be 20 players, it could be 40 players; what matters is that the coaches and decision-makers are confident that they have a group of Redskins that they can trust will be there come fall, should all go right. Smith said that he’s confident the team has found that thus far.

“We’ve set our core,” Smith said, via Redskins.com. “We’ve identified who our core players are and what positions we’re going to be attacking in the offseason, whether it be free agency or the draft.”

So who is the core of players? That’s still unknown, but we can at least take an educated guess. Obviously, it involves players like Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin, Derrius Guice, Steven Sims Jr., and other productive offensive players. It also is safe to assume that Landon Collins, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Cole Holcomb made the list as well. But what about players like Cam Sims, or Deshazor Everett, or Aaron Colvin? How does the team view Quinton Dunbar or Brandon Scherff? That much is still up for debate.

We probably won’t ever know the exact list, but as the offseason rolls on and more cuts are made ahead of the 2020 season, we’ll get a clearer idea for sure.

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ESPN ranks Redskins as No. 1 most productive rookie class in 2019

Washington was forced to rely on their rookies in 2019, and it led ESPN to rank them the most productive group of young players in the NFL.

They may have ended the 2019 season as the second-worst team in the NFL, but the Washington Redskins had a rookie class unlike any other this past season. With a number of prominent young players actually making a difference on the field, it’s no wonder that the Redskins were named as ESPN’s No. 1 most productive rookie class in the NFL in 2019.

Just think of all the first-year players who saw the field and got a load of experience under their best this past year. You’ve got quarterback Dwayne Haskins, wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims Jr., and Kelvin Harmon, plus Wes Martin getting a look at right guard. Then on defense, there’s Montez Sweat rushing the edge, Cole Holcomb becoming an impact player at linebacker, and cornerback Jimmy Moreland turning some heads out on the numbers.

With that much production from a rookie class, there’s obviously some high expectations for the grown going forward.

According to ESPN, the most valuable pick for the Redskins in the 2019 NFL Draft was obviously McLaurin, who was selected in the third round with the 76th overall pick. McLaurin finished the year with the highest receiving grade (86.5) by a rookie receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2015.

With a new coaching staff and some recent success in the draft, look for the stock for Washington to continue to rise as they try and hit on more young players, starting with a likely pick of Chase Young with the No. 2 pick in 2020.

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3 linebackers the Redskins should target in 2020 NFL free agency

The Redskins have the makings of a stout defense in 2020, but a high-end linebacker could be exactly what they need to be elite.

The defense for the 2020 Washington Redskins is starting to shape up pretty nicely, and with a duo of highly-respected defensive coaches now in the door, there’s a chance for them to be pretty good this upcoming season.

Not only does the defensive line have a solid foundation, with the prospect of bringing in Chase Young — the best defensive end that college football has seen in years — but the secondary is young and talented, with a budding Quinton Dunbar and a promising group underneath him.

That leaves the middle of the defense to focus on. While the Redskins were forced to piece together a linebacking core in 2019 after Reuben Foster went down with a season-ending injury in OTAs, they look to be a little bit more sound at the position as they enter the offseason. Foster is set to return, and rookie linebacker Cole Holcomb had a stellar first season, where he presented himself as a solid piece in the middle of the Washington defense. Still, that leaves one spot for the Redskins to try and improve to allow their defense to take shape, and it’s highly possible that they take to the free-agent market in order to do so. Here are a few players that we think they should try to bring into Ashburn.

Mychal Kendricks — Seattle Seahawks
Aug 24, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks (56) tackles Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler (30) during the first quarter at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Kendricks has had a solid career in the NFL, and his nose for the football inside the box makes him a valuable addition to run-stopping efforts. In his past two seasons with the Seahawks, he has stepped up as a valuable playmaker at inside linebacker, with 90 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He also has shown a little bit of ability to get out into coverage, defending five passes with one interception in Seattle, to go along with his three interceptions during his six years with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kendricks is coming off of back-to-back one-year contracts in Seattle, the last of which was worth $4 million. 2019 was an average season for the 8-year veteran; he improved on a disappointing 2018, but it could be considered a down year compared to the numbers that he used to put up in Philadelphia. The Redskins could likely sign him to a short, two- or three-year deal that is easy on the salary cap, and allow him to help grow a young and promising defense. His stats don’t exactly line up with his name recognition, but this signing would surely get Redskins fans jazzed about the upcoming season.

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