Redskins pro bowl safety Landon Collins likes what he’s hearing and seeing from his new coaches.
There’s a healthy dose of optimism around the Redskins with the hiring of new head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
The new sheriffs in town are changing up the tone for the Burgundy and Gold. For Collins, it’s been a breath of fresh air.
“It feels different because of the coaching staff,” Collins told local reporters via Zoom. “They changed the whole coaching staff, they switched the defense around. I can’t speak offensively, but defensively, it was much needed.”
Rivera and Del Rio are brilliant defensive minds and well-respected throughout the league. They have the resume to turn around a struggling team.
And, in recent years, the Redskins have been exactly that — a struggling team.
“These are coaches that have great coaching backgrounds and made a killing with their team,” Collins said. “From that standpoint, I’m just looking at it as it’s going to be the same way.”
The coronavirus pandemic has prevented teams from having a normal minicamp. The Redskins have recently begun their virtual offseason program.
When Rivera addressed the team for the first time, Collins said the message came across clear and to the point.
“It was straight to the point,” Collins said. “He was telling us his high expectations of the team and where he wants to go with us and what he looks from us once we all get together. It’s very good, very stern.”
The Redskins are coming off a 3-13 season which demanded a change in approach and more accountability.
This is a young team which Collins knows will need a head coach who won’t accept any excuses for lack of effort.
“Guys have to buy in. If you buy in, you win,” Collins said. “From that standpoint, we’re going to make this thing work.”
