NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

Cowboys LB Sean Lee may have re-signed with Dallas but the veteran still faces a good amount of change as he enters his 11th season. Dallas has a new coaching staff helmed by HC Mike McCarthy and Lee will have to learn new DC Mike Nolan‘s system, a situation made more complicated by the team’s facility being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I still think they’re trying to figure out the logistics of trying to learn and have meetings,” Lee said on SiriusXM NFL Radio via Pro Football Talk. “Hopefully, we can get past this and have some type of offseason. But if not, I think there’s a game plan to maybe use some technology, to use the iPads, maybe to Skype to have some of those meetings because there’s no question — offensively and defensively — trying to learn new systems, kinda systems that are probably different than what we’ve had in the past, we’re going to need to have those meetings and have that time.”

• Cowboys K Kai Forbath‘s one-year $1.187 million deal includes a $137,500 signing bonus, $1.05 million base salary and qualifies for the veteran salary benefit. (Aaron Wilson) 

Eagles

Perhaps the biggest need the Eagles had on paper entering free agency was at wide receiver, as not a single wideout on the roster cracked 500 yards receiving. While Philadelphia was busy, Eagles GM Howie Roseman didn’t make any moves to upgrade the position via trades or free agency, which seems to leave the draft as the team’s only option to find an upgrade. 

“It’s hard to do everything in free agency,” Roseman said via Dave Spadaro of the team website. “It’s hard to fix everything that you want to fix in one free agency period. Listen, let’s be transparent about it. We need better play from that position. There’s no doubt about it. I’m not gonna sit here and say it’s not been on our minds. But as we looked at where we could put our resources in free agency and making these decisions and some of them were tough decisions, some of them… There were opportunities that we looked at and dove into and we decided to go in a different direction.”

• Per NJ.com’s Mike Kaye, Roseman acknowledged the tough situation the team has with WR Alshon Jeffery, who’s recovering from a Lisfranc injury and is due $11.5 million guaranteed in 2020: “Obviously, the elephant in the room is Alshon. He’s got to get healthy.”
• Roseman pointed out Jeffery has heard all of the speculation about being a potential trade candidate or cap casualty: “He knows what is being said about him. He understands that he’s got a lot to prove and he’s anxious to do that. He’s not living in a bubble.” (Tim McManus)
• Roseman indicated that despite the Cardinals getting an apparent bargain from the Texans for WR DeAndre Hopkins, the Eagles didn’t have a similar offer on the table from Houston. (Mike Garafolo)
• With the loss of veteran S Malcolm Jenkins, Roseman said they wanted to maintain a leadership presence by re-signing S Rodney McLeod: “Very important for us to re-sign, someone who can run the show back there. …He’s always doing his job, always in the right place. …Excited for him and taking another step forward with his leadership ability.” (Zach Berman)
• Roseman mentioned Eagles CBs Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones are in “two different situations.” He seemed more hopeful talking about Jones, saying he’s showed a strong skillset when he’s been healthy: “Now he has to prove it.” (Martin Frank)
• As for Douglas, who’s reportedly on the trading block, Roseman’s tone was much different: “He has a body of work that’s he’s put out there.”
• Eagles S Will Parks‘ one-year, $1.5 million deal includes a $375,000 signing bonus, $1 million guaranteed base salary and up to $125,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. (Jeff McLane)

Giants

• The Athletic’s Dan Duggan mentions the Giants may have shopped TE Evan Engram this offseason if he hadn’t been recovering from foot surgery, which would have complicated trade talks. 
• Duggan says center, right tackle, defensive tackle and edge rusher are still needs the Giants are expected to address in the draft. 

Redskins

Redskins LT Trent Williams‘ agent, Vincent Taylor, provided his clients side of the story in a radio interview Thursday. Taylor said Williams was looking forward to meeting with new Redskins HC Ron Rivera to clear the air about his grievances with the team that caused him to sit out the entire 2019 season. However, actually scheduling the meeting proved to be difficult, with 45 days passing before Rivera contacted the veteran. It wasn’t lost on Williams that the team had time to meet with Rivera’s former TE Greg Olsen when he was a free agent during that span, but not him. 

“As his representative, I reached out to the club,” Taylor said via NBC Sports Peter Hailey. “‘Hey, what’s going on? Trent would like to know when would Ron call him? When could they have a conversation?’ I may have called three or four times before we were given a message that he would reach out to Trent at some point.”

Once the meeting actually happened, Williams was even more disappointed by the tone it took. 

“He goes in to meet, to hopefully have a reconciliation, to go have a conversation with Ron,” Williams said. “And, in speaking with him, he realizes there is no relationship. Ron, in essence, wanted him to prove himself.”

• NBC Sports’ JP Finlay reports that while it’s been widely reported the Redskins want a second-round pick back for Williams, a source says it doesn’t mean it’ll take just a second to close a deal: “They’re not being stubborn.”
• The source says Washington is open to packages that offer a similar value on the trade chart to a second-round pick: “It’s a willingness to be creative.”
• ESPN’s John Keim writes the Redskins have discussed a trade with multiple teams for Williams but have not yet been tempted. Cutting Williams is not an option, per a source. 
• Keim adds the Vikings, Buccaneers, Browns, Chargers, Dolphins and Jets are among the teams that could make sense for Williams, though each have their own obstacles to completing a deal. 
• The Athletic’s Ben Standig says Washington has not discussed extending Williams itself during this process and appears intent to move on. 
• Washington has had a consistent stance with all of its players that it didn’t want to commit to any contract extensions until Rivera had a chance to know the players and see how they fit with his rebuild. (Keim)
• Redskins S Sean Davis‘ one-year, $4 million deal includes a $2 million signing bonus, $1.5 million base salary and up to $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. (Aaron Wilson)
• Redskins TE Richard Rodgers‘s one-year, $1.046 million deal includes a base salary of $910,000 and can earn up to $136,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. (Aaron Wilson)