Redskins have added speed this offseason; will it help?
By Marc Lande
Linebacker
The Redskins will have three very athletic, very fast pit bulls manning the middle of the field.
The re-signing of Jon Bostic I agree with in part because Bostic has above-average speed for a middle linebacker, posting a 4.61. Mainly an inside linebacker now with a chance to transition to middle linebacker, can Bostic improve upon a career that has been average so far?
Competing for the starting middle linebacker spot, the Redskins brought in one of the fastest most athletic inside linebackers in the NFL to pair with an already fast squad. Kevin Pierre-Louis posted a 4.51 which is a freakish number for that position. Regarded as one of the fastest and most athletic linebackers in the NFL, he could have a chance to start at a new position.
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And Cole Holcomb posted a 4.48, making him one of the fastest in the league.
It appears that at middle linebacker, the Redskins are trying to upgrade their speed. Bostic is the most proven of these options.
This position, given Rivera’s and Jack Del Rio’s playing experiences, will be a key to seeing if this regime is successful. In the best-case scenario, Rivera uses his coaching prowess to produce the next Mike Singletary.
Outside linebacker Thomas Davis, a former star of Riveria, once blazing fast, posted a 4.6 but this was back in 2005. His speedster days are over, brought in to supply veteran leadership. There has been no mention of Davis making a switch to middle linebacker. Will he help Bostic and Pierre-Louis and the rest of the linebacking corps with Rivera’s system?
Rueben Foster is on the mend and it’s unclear how he’ll factor into the Redskins plans this season. There were reports that Foster ran a 4.54 40 but he never had an official 40-yard combine time after he got kicked out of the combine.