NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

• Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said the team has not made a decision on veterans TE Jason Witten and LB Sean Lee for 2020, who are both impending free agents. (Clarence Hill Jr.)
• Jones said he wants to avoid using the franchise tag this offseason and said it’s “urgent” to get a deal in place with QB Dak Prescott. (Clarence Hill Jr.)

Giants

• Ralph Vacchiano of SNY says the Giants are “intent” on re-signing DL Leonard Williams, who is reportedly seeking a big-money deal this offseason. Vacchiano adds that Williams could be looking for as much as $15 million per year, which would use up a considerable amount of the Giants’ cap space.
• Some of the free agents that could make sense for the Giants this offseason, according to Vacchiano, include Titans OT Jack Conklin, 49ers DL Arik Armstead, and Broncos CB Chris Harris.
• Vacchiano mentions that with the Giants hiring Joe Judge away from New England, it’s possible New York could have interest in some notable Patriots free agents such as DE/LB Kyle Van Noy, LB Jamie Collins, and S Devin McCourty. 

Redskins 

Redskins second-year QB Dwayne Haskins would welcome competition from Alex Smith, as he returns from a devastating leg injury that resulted in a life-threatening infection. Haskins also said he was “excited” to work with Washington’s new head coach Ron Rivera.

“That’s cool,” Haskins told reporters Friday, via NBC Washington. “I’m just going to have to work hard and eventually take it over. Just do your best to be accountable for what you have to do and be ready to go… [Rivera’s] a guy who’s going to hold you accountable and make sure you put the work in,” Haskins said of his new coach. “I’m all for that, so I’m excited.”

Redskins senior VP of player development Doug Williams says the new coaching staff “knows that Dwayne Haskins is the starting quarterback here.”

“The new staff knows that Dwayne Haskins is the starting quarterback here,” Williams told reporters at a community event, via ESPN.com. “The only thing that can happen is for Dwayne to give it back to them. It’s up to him to learn the playbook, wear the coaches out. He’s got to stay at the facility until they run him out of the building. …

“Dwayne has a long way to go. But like I told him, he was doing what we expected him to do. He was ascending. Hopefully the way he goes now, he keeps going up. All eyes are going to be on him. At the same time you’ve got a new coaching staff and they’re not married to him.”

• Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic reports that the Redskins are hiring Jennifer King to their coaching staff, which will make her the first full-time African American female coach in the NFL.
• King previously coached under Redskins’ new HC Ron Rivera as a Panthers’ assistant in 2017 and was also a member of the AAF’s Arizona Hotshots’ coaching staff.