NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

Cowboys executive Stephen Jones is confident that new HC Mike McCarthy will continue putting a strong coaching staff together. 

“I think everybody will be real pleased with the staff that he puts together. I think it’s going to be a great group of coaches. Still work to do. Mike will make great choices there,” said Jones, via Jon Machota. 

• Jones mentioned that the Cowboys will give McCarthy “exactly the same authority” as Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. (Ed Werder)
• As for the official candidates they considered, Jones said they had no interviews other than with McCarthy and Marvin Lewis. (Ed Werder)
• Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, a Rams source praised the work of new Cowboys ST coordinator John Fassel: “He makes it cool to play special teams. He’s pretty rare. He’s different in a good way. …He’s very positive in his whole teaching.”
• Cowboys QB coach Jon Kitna might not be back in Dallas in 2020. (Calvin Watkins)
• The Cowboys are interviewing University of Texas RB coach Stan Drayton for the same position in Dallas. (Todd Archer)

Eagles

• According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, the Eagles had Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf graded higher than WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who they took seven picks before Metcalf in the second round in 2019. 
• However, the Eagles failed Metcalf on his physical following a neck injury that ended his redshirt sophomore season and had him in the late rounds on their draft board. 
• Metcalf and Arcega-Whiteside were on polar opposite sides of production for rookie receivers, but Eagles GM Howie Roseman says they still have faith in their second-round pick going forward: “J.J.’s a talented kid. He’s got tools in his body. … That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have to take a jump, because he does. This offseason’s really important for him. I don’t think we saw the best of J.J.”
• NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero mentions QB coach Press Taylor as an internal candidate to replace former OC Mike Groh.
• According to Adam Caplan, the sense around the Eagles is that they will hire retired OLB Connor Barwin in a personnel staff role.  

Giants

New Panthers HC Matt Rhule understandably wanted to talk more about the job he had rather than the job everyone thought he wanted up until the last minute with the Giants. Rhule grew up in New York City, coached with the team in 2012 and was the presumed favorite for the Giants head coaching vacancy — right up until New York declined to match Panthers owner David Tepper‘s seven-year, $60+ million offer. While Rhule didn’t want to talk about the Giants, the Panthers were willing to acknowledge they saw New York as direct competitors for Rhule and were accordingly aggressive to make sure he never got on the plane to New York. 

“That’s home for him. I think it’s always difficult when you’re talking about home,” Panthers communications director Steven Drummond said via the Athletic’s Joseph Person. “He had been there. So, yeah, we fully expected him to talk to the Giants. I think that’s why Dave was so adamant and aggressive that once he realized and it clicked that this is the guy. This is my guy, this is our guy, he wanted to try to get a deal done as quickly as possible.”

• According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, some potential candidates to watch for new Giants HC Joe Judge‘s staff include former Browns HC Freddie Kitchens, Patriots DL coach Bret Bielema, former Patriots assistant Pepper Johnson, former Browns assistant Jody Wright, former Dolphins OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo, former Dolphins OC Chad O’Shea, Browns DL coach Tosh Lupoi and former Auburn OL coach J.B. Grimes. 
• Vacchiano says the Giants could also retain WR coach Tyke Tolbert, offensive assistant Ryan Roeder or TE coach Lunda Wells.
• Judge wasn’t just a surprise hire to the rest of the NFL world — Giants co-owner John Mara admits he was surprised at how much he liked Judge: “If you asked me a week ago, 10 days ago, I would have said it probably would have been a long shot.” (Jordan Raanan)
• Mara confirmed the length of Rhule’s offer from the Panthers shut down any interest the Giants had, though Judge’s impressive interview Monday made it easier to walk away: “For a new head coach in the National Football League, I just didn’t think that was a reasonable way to go. That’s all. Would we have talked about moving some parts around in that deal? Possibly, if we weren’t excited about the candidate that we already had.” (Darryl Slater)

Redskins

• Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, people around the NFL already think the Redskins could be much better in 2020 under new HC Ron Rivera: “The front seven has talent and is going to be so much better. And coaching will make a big difference.”
• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline is told the Redskins love Ohio State DE Chase Young. 
• The Redskins announced they hired former Panthers salary negotiator and cap manager Rob Rogers to be their new senior VP of football administration. 
• The Redskins also promoted Malcolm Blacken to Senior Director of Player Development.