NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said the offense began to “click” for him last season and believes he is now playing faster. 

“Somewhere during that (winning) streak last year, I was seeing it and knowing. Not seeing it and thinking, seeing it and knowing. As things started to click, it makes things so much easier. It allows you to play faster,” said Prescott, via Jon Machota.

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes it makes sense for the Cowboys to finalize QB Dak Prescott‘s extension first before moving on to WR Amari Cooper and RB Ezekiel Elliott next. 
• Breer says Dallas’ talks with Prescott are more advanced and since Prescott’s deal will take up a larger portion of the salary cap, it makes sense to do it first. 

Giants

After trading DE Olivier Vernon, the Giants didn’t bring in a big-name pass rusher to replace him. They’re hoping DE Markus Golden, who had 12.5 sacks in 2016 before tearing his ACL in 2017, can be that guy. 

“He’s a double-digit sack guy,” Giants outside linebackers coach Mike Dawson said via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “Once you guys watch him train and watch the way that he plays, and you go back and watch his pre-injury film, just the way he’s all over the field in the run game and the pass game. When the ball is down the field, he’s backside chasing that thing like a mad man. That intensity and that level of effort he plays with is going to lead to production with him.” 

Eagles

After spending most of his rookie season developing on the bench, Eagles OL Jordan Mailata was not discouraged by the team spending a first-round pick on OT Andre Dillard.

“I don’t think it slows down anything,” Mailata said via NBC Sports’ Reuben Frank. “I think every year they’re going to choose the best people to draft, and ‘Dre just happened to be one of the best tackles in the draft, and obviously you want that. You want that on your team. I want that on my team. I don’t believe it hinders my progression or where they have me on the depth chart. I think it’s just a plus for us that we got ‘Dre, and for me it’s going to make me work harder. He’s a great guy. At the end of the day, it doesn’t hinder my progression.”