NFC Notes: Chase Young, Saquon Barkley, Commanders, Eagles, Giants

Commanders

Commanders HC Ron Rivera said the team will welcome the “good problem” that might arise if the team has to decide whether to extend DE Montez Sweat or DE Chase Young.

“It’s one of those things that we want to take care of our own,” Rivera said, via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano. “We want to go out and we want them to play well. And if that’s what happens, then we have a really good problem to have.”

• Vacchiano writes it seems like the team is only going to be able to keep one of either Sweat or Young after this season.
• According to Ben Standig, the Commanders have excused second-round DB Quan Martin from their rookie mini-camp due to a personal matter and he will re-join them the following week.  

Eagles

Eagles fourth-round CB Kelee Ringo grew up in Washington for a big chunk of his adolescence and as a result was a major fan of former Seahawks CB Richard Sherman. Ringo has some parallels as a player to Sherman as well, which is why the former Georgia star caught Sherman’s eye enough to take under his wing this offseason. 

“Just him showing me the ropes, just financial things as well as on the field, seeing concepts, things like that,” Ringo said via the Athletic’s Zach Berman. “Really just growing into a young man that’s going to have a lot more expectations of him, as well as with a lot of things on my plate overall, just how I’m able to balance that. I feel like having somebody that’s been through that at the highest level with any type of given situation towards him and just giving all that back to me, I’m definitely thankful for somebody like that, for sure. He’s definitely helped me grow a lot.”

Giants

• FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes the Giants have touched base with RB Saquon Barkley since the draft and are open to signing him to an extension. However, they are also perfectly content to let him play out the season on the franchise tag. 
• Vacchiano says that puts more pressure on Barkley to lower his asking price if he doesn’t want to play out the season on the tag, as the Giants seem unlikely to increase their offer by much, if at all. 
• He adds the team also drafted at least in part with the future in mind by taking fifth-round RB Eric Gray. A Giants source told him before the draft that coming out of Day 3 with a running back was important to add depth and “hedge our bets” for 2024 if they couldn’t extend Barkley. 
• Per Vacchiano, the source added Gray wasn’t drafted to be the heir to Barkley. But he’ll get an opportunity to try and prove himself worthy of that this year. 
• Giants GM Joe Schoen commented on the Gray pick after the draft: “Super productive. Really good hands out of the backfield. Also has some elusiveness to him inside. He’s a very mature young player.”