NFC Notes: Brian Daboll, Wink Martindale, Jerry Jones, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

• According to Aaron Wilson, the Commanders signed DE Clelin Ferrell to a one-year, $3.75 million contract with $3.05 million guaranteed including a $1.75 million signing bonus. 
• Wilson adds all of Ferrell’s $1.3 million base salary is guaranteed, and he can earn $30k per game in roster bonuses along with a $1.5 million incentive for playtime, sacks or first-team All-Pro. 
• Commanders S Jeremy Chinn‘s contract is for one year at $4.105 million in base value and includes $3.495 million guaranteed, a $2.37 million signing bonus, a salary of $1.125 million guaranteed and $30,000 in per game active roster bonuses. There is also a $1 million incentive for playtime, sacks and interceptions. (Wilson)
• Commanders LS Tyler Ott signed for three years at $4.39 million. The deal includes $2.865 million guaranteed, a $400,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1.21 million guaranteed, $1.255 guaranteed for injury at signing and $1.3 million. There is also an annual workout bonus of $75,000. (Wilson)
• Commanders K Brandon McManus signed for one year at $3.6 million. It includes a $1.5 million signing bonus, a $1.17 million salary and $20,000 in per game active roster bonuses. (Wilson)
• Commanders LB Frankie Luvu’s contract is for three years at $31 million with $19.12 million guaranteed and an $11.5 million signing bonus. It includes salaries of $1.125 million guaranteed, $8.5 million and $7.55 million, with $6.5 million in 2025 guaranteed for injury and $2 million guaranteed at signing. Another $4.5 million becomes guaranteed if he is on the roster on April 1, 2025 and there’s a $1 million roster bonus on April 1, 2026. (Aaron Wilson)
• There are $20,000 in per-game, active roster bonuses annually and up to $1.3 million for sacks, Pro Bowl and playoffs incentives annually. There is a $650,000 base escalator for sacks annually, plus two void years.
• New Eagles DE Bryce Huff said the Commanders were among the teams who had shown interest in him. (Jimmy Kempski)
• Commanders new LB Bobby Wagner cited HC Dan Quinn and LB coach Ken Norton as huge factors in his decision to sign with Washington: “Nort’s one of my favorite coaches of all time.” (Nicki Jhabvala)

Cowboys

Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said they haven’t been overly aggressive in free agency because teams tend to overpay for players around this time. 

“I’ve always been of the ilk that you, in this first couple of days of free agency, you pay good players like they’re great, you pay average players like they’re good, and so on and so forth,” Jones said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “Because the market’s inflated in our mind. That’s one opinion. The way I look at things, too. I’ve always said it: Player acquisition is 365 days a year. It’s not just the first or second or third day of free agency.”

Jones expressed trust in senior personnel executive Will McClay and the organization’s ability to draft well. 

“It’s not frustrating because it means we’ve done a good job with the draft, that’s a sign in my mind that our organization — Will and the scouting department and the coaches that have been through here — we’ve done our job of developing players,” Jones said. 

Jones said they are aware of the fan’s frustration in their lack of success in the playoffs. 

“How can you not be aware?” Jones said. “It’s frustrating for us as well. I mean this is something — whether it be [owner/general manager Jerry Jones], whether it be myself, whether it be Will, the coaching staff, the organization, our family — I mean those are all things that no one wants it more than we want it. And I know our fans want it. Certainly it’s very understanding that there’s frustration. Until we go do something about it, we can go win 12 games again next year, but everybody’s going to be looking at ‘What are you going to do in the playoffs?’ We understand that’s where the bar is and that’s where the bar should be.”

• Tony Pauline reports Georgia State OT Travis Glover has 20 official visits set up, including with the Cowboys. 
• Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley has an official 30 visit scheduled with the Cowboys. (David Edwards)
• Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint met with the Cowboys at his pro day. (Tony Pauline) 
• Texas WR Xavier Worthy met with the Cowboys before his pro day. (Tony Pauline)

Giants

Several explosive sideline clips from last season and an acrimonious divorce with DC Wink Martindale put the spotlight on Giants HC Brian Daboll and how he manages his coaching staff. Giants GM Joe Schoen tried his best not to throw his head coach under the bus while acknowledging New York’s shortcomings in 2023 led to a lot of self-reflection. 

“I think we’re all going to learn and grow over time,” Schoen said via the Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “We have to. It’s the first time we went through adversity. I’m sure there’s a lot that we all learned about ourselves going through that. As leaders, myself included, we’ve all got to get better in terms of how we handle those situations. I think we’re all going to reflect this offseason on how things went, what we can do better, and I would put Dabes in that category as well.”

Schoen also tried to shoot down rumors of discord between Daboll and OC Mike Kafka, calling their coordinator an “asset” to the organization. 

“There is no tension there,” Schoen said via GiantsWire. “Mike’s a really good coach; he’s a great teammate. He’s an asset around the building, and he’s a young coach who’s been a coordinator for two years; we elevated him to a new title because we will continue to develop him as a head coach. There is a lot of like for him around the league; he’s in demand. He was a finalist for two jobs over the last couple of years, and he’s earned it; he’s a really good coach with a bright future and an asset to the organization. There’s no tension between Mike and (Daboll).”

As for whether Daboll will take play-calling duties from Kafka, Schoen said he wouldn’t prohibit Daboll from making any decisions. 

“I’m never going to tell (Daboll) what to do,” Schoen said. “That’s his world. I’ll be a sounding board and give advice, but I’ll never tell him what to do as a coach. So, if he decided he ever wanted to do that, that’s up to him. I’m never going to tell him one way or the other what to do on the field and whatnot. That’s his world.”