NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott admitted that he was initially unsure of how to process the team hiring HC Mike McCarthy, but he’s confident in his McCarthy’s background. 

“I’ve never been part of a (head coaching) change at any level. I didn’t really know what to expect. So once the change was made it was more like, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ He’s won a Super Bowl. … He’s a good coach. Just check his resume,” said Prescott, via Jon Machota.

Giants

New Giants HC Joe Judge may have learned from two of the biggest grouches in coaching while working as an assistant for both Patriots HC Bill Belichick and Alabama HC Nick Saban. But former Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski said Judge doesn’t model his style after those two. 

“He’s out of control in all ways,” Gronkowski said via Ryan Dunleavy and Brian Costello of the New York Post. “He’s fun to be around, he has a lot of great jokes and they’re funny. He had me laughing many times in meetings. . . . He’s out of control and I love it. He’s a great coach for the Giants’ organization. He has so much passion for the game, and that’s what you need if you want to be a coach. You have to love the game of football to the max and that’s what he does. He knows the game of football inside and out.”

• Giants RB Saquon Barkley said he’s going to rededicate himself to his leg workouts this offseason: “I kind of got away from it last year. Not crazy, like how I was in college, but that’s how I got to where I am. That’s who I am. Why turn away from it?” (Pro Football Talk)

Redskins

Peter King spoke with a source at the 2020 Senior Bowl who mentioned that the Redskins could “remake their franchise” by trading the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft. 

“I will tell you right now, I have somebody who is at the Senior Bowl who told me, flat out: the Washington Redskins could remake their franchise, this year, by dealing the second pick in the draft,” King said, via J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports. 

King added that the Redskins have a lot of leverage in a trade, given Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, Ohio State DE Chase Young, and Oregon QB Justin Herbert will all be available to them at No. 2 overall. 

“I think we all believe Joe Burrow goes No. 1 to the Bengals,” King said. “Now, it isn’t just Tua [Tagovailoa] who is there at No. 2. It’s also some people that are going to say, ‘I love this Justin Herbert.’ Imagine, you got Tua, Herbert, and Chase Young sitting there at No. 2. Just imagine how much leverage you might have.”

King believes the Redskins could be looking at a scenario where they either land a “generational pass rusher” in Young or net up to three first-round draft picks by trading down. 

“I think Washington is in an incredibly good situation,” King said. “Either they get a generational pass rusher, or they end up getting three ones out of it.”