NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

• ESPN’s Ed Werder reveals the Cowboys weren’t surprised by C Travis Frederick‘s retirement announcement. 
• According to Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, Buccaneers DT Ndamukong Suh is still open to returning to Tampa Bay but has informed the team he has interest from other teams including the 49ers and Cowboys. 

Eagles

New Eagles DT Javon Hargrave has spent much of the past four seasons with the Steelers operating as a nose tackle despite not fitting the traditional build for the position. The Eagles saw an opportunity to add a disruptive interior pass rusher and pounced, much to Hargrave’s delight. 

“The Eagles’ [system] is more of a ‘get upfield.’ That’s kind of how I came into the league, from college,” Hargrave said via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Les Bowen. “It’s a lot more exciting. It’s every D-lineman’s dream to play in a system like this.”

• ESPN’s Tim McManus writes the Eagles pulled out of trade negotiations for Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins because their roster is already top-heavy. Trading for Hopkins and signing him to the new deal he wanted wouldn’t have helped that, plus it would have set a contract precedent Philadelphia wanted to avoid. 
• McManus also points out the coming draft is seen as deep at wide receiver and the Eagles might have preferred to address their need that way, even if Hopkins came at a discount. 
• Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice says a trade for Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue is unlikely for similar reasons. While Ngakoue is a great player, trading a first-round pick and paying him more than $20 million a season isn’t how the Eagles want to build their team right now. 
• Kempski notes the Eagles will likely make another addition at running back, perhaps a stronger insider runner to complement Miles Sanders and Boston Scott.

Giants

The Giants addressed a major need in the secondary by going out and signing former Panthers CB James Bradberry to a three-year, $43.5 million deal. Bradberry was one of the top corners on the market and had no shortage of suitors, but said he picked the Giants over a competing offer from the Lions in part because of his familiarity with GM Dave Gettleman, who drafted him in Carolina. 

“It was either between the Lions and New York and I just feel like New York was the better fit for me,” Bradberry said Monday during an interview on Radio.com’s The Jim Rome Show, via NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton. “I knew Gettleman, so I know what type of organization he’s trying to build over there and I knew some of the players that were there as well and they had nothing but good things to say about the organization. So I feel like it was the right fit.”

• Giants signed DB Dravon Askew-Henry. (NFLTR)

Redskins

• According to ESPN’s John Keim, Redskins LT Trent Williams can’t hold out for a second consecutive season. Under the new CBA, a player doesn’t get credit for an accrued season if he fails to report on time to training camp or leaves the team for more than five days without permission. Players are also fined $40,000 per day and teams aren’t allowed to waive that fine later.
• Per the team website, the Redskins’ acquisition of QB Kyle Allen from the Panthers for a fifth-round pick was about adding “depth” at quarterback. 
• Even if he doesn’t get an extension from the Seahawks, former Redskins CB Quinton Dunbar was just happy to get out of Washington after being traded, per a source: “Quinton Dunbar wanted a place that appreciated him and where he would have a shot at a championship. Washington wasn’t open to an extension or restructuring his contract. It wasn’t even about money at the end, but respect.” (The Athletic)
• Grant Paulsen mentions the Redskins could look at free-agent CB Bashaud Breeland to bolster the position, while Ben Standig mentions WR Devin Funchess, LT Jason Peters, WR Jarius Wright and OL Daryl Williams as some other potential signings. 
• A team official also tells the Athletic a big draw of acquiring Allen was the three years of team control remaining since 2019 was technically his first accrued season. 
• League sources though the Redskins got a good return with a fifth-round pick for Dunbar despite his strong performance, as his injuries, trade demands, contract year status and the coming draft class depressed his trade value. (Keim)
• When Keim initially reached out to gauge Dunbar’s value, some sources mentioned around a fourth-round pick. (Keim)
• When it came to actual offers, though, other teams were offering sixth or seventh-round picks for Dunbar. (Keim)
• Redskins OT Cornelius Lucas‘ two-year, $3.8 million deal includes a $1 million signing bonus, base salaries of $910,000 and $1.13 million, up to $250,000 in per-game active roster bonuses in 2020, up to $510,000 in 2021 and an annual playing time incentive worth up to $750,000. (Aaron Wilson)