NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team initially planned to move forward with WR Allen Hurns in the slot until Randall Cobb became available.  

“We actually had Hurns as a way to go here. But the opportunity to get him [Cobb] was outstanding,” Jones said via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill. “That was one that you just — it had to fall your way. The fact that we were able to do that, when you look at the result of Bease going on to Buffalo and him coming here, then the result looked more clever than it was to plan on it.”

“But if you haven’t thought about the possibility and the results and the consequences, and you’re sitting there just thinking about it as the caboose on the train is whizzing by, you have missed the train,” Jone continued. “We had really thought about it, so when that opportunity with Cobb came, we were able to get all over it. That’s the way you’re supposed to do it.”

Cowboys HC Jason Garrett admitted health was a bit of a concern for Cobb, but that as long as he stays healthy, he can be an impact player for Dallas.  

“Well, you try to address that head-on,” Garrett said. “You say ‘OK, what happened here? Really productive this year, not quite as productive here. What’s going on with that hamstring injury? Look at him when he was healthy, he played really well. What did the doctors say? What did the trainers say? What did the medical people, who are on the forefront of it, what are their opinions on all of this?’ And then you just try to put it all together and make the best decision you can for the team. But if you look at him early on in the season last year, when he was healthy, he was a really impactful player. And that’s the player we tried to defend for a lot of years.”

Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman acknowledged that the Eagles planned to address running back in free agency, but said the team isn’t panicking after their plans shifted.  

“I just go back to our history over the last couple of years. We’ve been fortunate to win a lot of games with the running backs we have on this roster, and [we] have opportunities, also, to acquire backs not only before the draft but after the draft process,” Roseman said via Philly.com’s Les Bowen.  “It will not put us in a position at any spot where we’re forcing something in the draft, because that’s where you certainly make mistakes.” 

The Eagles reportedly were high on RB Tevin Coleman, rating him as the best back on the market, but Coleman ultimately signed with the 49ers.  

“You have to be versatile and open to every opportunity that comes in front of you,” Roseman said. “You can have a Plan A, but when that goes a different way, or people get a different amount of money, or you have other opportunities that [you weren’t expecting], you have to be flexible enough to say, ‘I know what I thought on March 13, but this really helps our football team.’”

Giants

• According to Albert Breer, there is “a ton speculation in scouting circles” that the Giants are intrigued by Duke QB Daniel Jones. 
• Even so, Breer says he would bet at this point that the Giants are more likely to wind up with Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock.
• The Giants signed WR Cody Latimer to a one-year, $1.5 million that includes $400,000 guaranteed in the form of a signing bonus, a $160,000 per game roster bonus and a $15,000 workout bonus. (Jordan Raanan)