NFC Notes: Bobby Wagner, Jameis Winston, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

The Commanders re-signed veteran LB Bobby Wagner to an extension this offseason. Commanders HC Dan Quinn said they felt it was important to re-sign “great teammates” like Wagner. 

“You want to re-sign great teammates, but you also want to re-sign great players,” Quinn said, via CommandersWire. “And when those two things are in sync, man, that’s a no-brainer. So, the impact Bobby (Wagner) made on and off the field was excellent. I can still remember we were in a tough stretch (three-game losing streak with losses to the Steelers, Eagles, Cowboys) and he was the one that stood up in front of the team, and I think that was something that showed the leader that he is, because he is soft-spoken.”

Quinn said Wagner and Jayden Daniels are always the first players to arrive at the team facility. 

“He’s got really high standards. He’s the first one, he and Jayden (Daniels) to the building every morning. But I think that shows over and over again how committed he is, and other people see that.”

Quinn said Wagner’s leadership wasn’t the only reason they brought him back and thinks he’s still a quality player. 

“So, it was both (leader and player), but it was the ball player first. When can you add the ball player and the teammate? Man, that’s an easy one to do. That was really important for us… for Adam (Peters) and Bobby to get that done together; that’s also some uniqueness there as well. I think that is one of the coolest things.”

Cowboys

Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown appeared on NFL Network to comment on his rehab from injury, as well as the contract situation involving LB Micah Parsons.

Giants

Giants QB Jameis Winston spoke at length regarding the role he plans to play in New York this season as a veteran who can mentor other players and also provide the team with starting-caliber play.

“My initial vision approaching this offseason was to find an opportunity that gave me either a starting role or a bridge opportunity to be the starting quarterback, and I believe this situation is a situation that looks similar. Whether it’s a veteran quarterback that I have to compete with and help serve and help make better for this team or it’s a young quarterback who is coming in from college who I have to help get better, who I have to compete with and serve, this is the NFL,” Winston said, via GiantsWire.com. “There is no — in my job requirement at the quarterback position, there is only one of us. In that job requirement you have to be able to compete and be able to just be your very best self. Whoever is the best guy gets the job. That’s just how it works since I’ve been in the NFL. So when the Giants’ opportunity was there and those opportunities for being sure starters and sure bridge opportunities, when they weren’t as plentiful, I looked at this opportunity as a great one for me to be able to come in and have that starter-bridge opportunity in the future.”

“It’s required for this organization to start winning,” Winston continued. “So we can have more giggles, more laughter, more fun in this building. We’re in the biggest city in the world, and we should enjoy that, and I think winning does that. So when to comes to looking at their record, I didn’t look at this team as a 3-14 team. I looked at what was possible, and what I saw was possible is an offense that can be executed efficiently and can be explosive. I saw a defense with an incredible front. And I saw this offseason them adding Paulson Adebo, Jevon Holland in the back end to create some noise to help that front get home. I just figured that the Giants, man, they don’t look like a 3-14 team from the talks of people talking about — I know Kayvon (Thibodeaux), I know Brian (Burns) a little bit, and Dex(ter Lawrence). Like from their talks and their conversations, like the locker room didn’t seem like it was a 3-14 team.”

Giants GM Joe Schoen said the following about Winston during an interview with the team website:

“We’ve had to play with seven quarterbacks over the last two years. So, backup quarterback was going to be a priority for us — no different than the swing tackle that we signed in [James] Hudson [III]. Due to some of the injuries we’ve had and the way things went down, we knew if our starter was injured at some point that we needed to have somebody that could come in and win games for us,” Schoen said of Winston. “And Jameis has played at a high level in this league. He can still throw it. He had multiple 300-yard games last year. You’re getting another guy who brings leadership to the table as well. To have a guy who’s played as much ball as him, started a lot of games in his career, and still has all the physical tools to play. You feel comfortable with him going in the game and being able to execute.”

• The Giants signed Winston to a two-year deal worth $8 million in base value, with $5.3 million guaranteed. His contract includes $8 million in unspecified incentives. His 2025 cap hit is $3 million, and his 2026 cap hit is $5 million. Of his $3.95 million base salary in 2026, $1.3 million is guaranteed, meaning the Giants would incur $2.3 million in dead money if they release him after this season. (Dan Duggan)