NFC Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Brandin Cooks, Giants

Commanders

• ESPN’s John Keim points out Commanders LB Khaleke Hudson participated with the starters during their spring program and was one of the standouts of the offseason program. 

Cowboys

Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks said the team will not be finding out who its fastest player is, as he is unwilling to race WR KaVontae Turpin or veteran DB C.J. Goodwin.

“Hey, I’m not going to speak for it,” Cooks said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “Maybe it is Turp. You never know. Maybe it might be CJ. We not going to find out because I’m not doing any racing.”

Cooks is already drawing praise from several people who have been around him in Dallas including QB Dak Prescott, HC Mike McCarthy, and fellow WR CeeDee Lamb.

“Real speed. Runs the same way every time. I think that’s the most important thing,” Prescott said of Cooks. “When you have speed like that, for him to be able to do it every play, every route, the start of every route, the cornerbacks, defense, they don’t know what they’re getting. It all looks the same.”

“Not only the speed, but I think he’s an exceptional route runner,” McCarthy added. “He has a great understanding of routes and time clocks and specifics of getting in and out of breaks.”

“I’m a visual learner and I’m just watching him as he runs his routes, the way he preps, the way he practices, how he goes about his business. I love each and every part of it,” Lamb said. “I mean, he’s a professional to a ‘T’. My coach told me bringing him in will be the best thing for me and it is.”

Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer says that Cooks has been a mentor so far since joining the team, mentoring players like wide receivers Jalen Tolbert and Michael Gallup.

“He tells everybody, ‘When you are you’re done with this, you’re done with that, make sure you stretch,” Gallup said when asked about Cooks. “Make sure you do what you’re supposed to do so you can stay in league as long as you possibly can.’ That’s one of the biggest things right now. Football, that’s going to be there. We got in the league for a reason. But he’s over here talking about how you stay in the league.”

Giants

Giants S Xavier McKinney dealt with injury issues last season but is happy to be back and believes that the team is building something great defensively. 

“A lot of growth. They’re showing a lot of just willing to listen, willing to get better, willing to work to compete,” McKinney said of his younger teammates, via GiantsWire.com. “I try to kind of get on them a little bit from time to time just to make them go a little harder, try to see what buttons I can push. But it’s been fun having them out there.”

“I think everywhere. I think as a team, I can’t really pinpoint one specific place,” McKinney added. “I think as a defense I’m happy, and I know everybody else is extremely happy to have (defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale) back. So just another year in the system. Just being a lot more comfortable knowing what he wants to call (and) when he wants to call it. I think all in all it’s been great, and — like I said, I can’t pinpoint one thing, but I know that we’re building something special based on what we have.”