Tag: Steve Russ

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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Reuben Foster is staying mentally ready to hit the ground running once cleared to play

We don’t quite know when Foster will be cleared to play, but he is doing all of the mental work to be ready for when that happens.

The Washington Football Team started out training camp with linebacker Reuben Foster on the PUP list, but that doesn’t mean that he is far away from being ready to play.

Though he failed the football part of his physical at the start of camp, it has become clear that both the player and coaches are operating under the assumption that Foster will be able to take the field at some point this season, though it’s not yet known when exactly that will take place. On Tuesday afternoon, linebackers coach Steve Russ talked to media members and said that both he and Foster are treating the situation as if Foster will take the field at some point, and doing what they can to keep him physically and mentally ready to do so when the time comes.

One major thing that will help Foster be ready to step onto the field once he is physically cleared is staying up to date on the calls and schemes that he will need to know. Russ said on Tuesday that throughout his Zoom meetings with the linebacking group, he has routinely seen Foster take it upon himself to be active in every answer, while not allowing that to detract from his fellow teammates learning process.

It’s hard to imagine that a player would be going through this much effort and mental work unless he was getting close to returning to the field. The physical side of things will come eventually, but until then, it looks like Foster is doing everything he can to be able to hit the ground running when he gets that go-ahead.

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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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