NFC Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles

Commanders

• According to the Athletic’s Jeff Howe, the Commanders, along with other teams with star receivers in contract years, have so far brushed aside all trade inquiries for WR Terry McLaurin.
• Most NFL front office personnel who Howe polled thought the Commanders would eventually work out a long-term deal to keep McLaurin, although things could always go sideways in negotiations. 
• The Commanders hosted Texas A&M DE Micheal Clemons for a visit. (Ryan Fowler)

Cowboys

• Per the Athletic’s Jon Machota, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones downplayed the idea of Dallas trading up in the draft, pointing out it’s a deep class and whenever a team trades up, you’re giving up at least two players for one.
• He also added: “We’re not done yet in free agency.” (Calvin Watkins)
• Jones defended their decision to trade WR Amari Cooper again, noting he thinks WRs CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup are more than capable of stepping up: “I know Amari was a great player for us but this might allow certainly CeeDee and Michael to step up and play a bigger role. And who knows what their upside may be?” (Jori Epstein)
• Jones also appears bullish on the potential of DE Dorance Armstrong to replace Randy Gregory: “The same thing with Dorance Armstrong. We hated to lose Randy. We went down to the wire with him. But at the same time, you look at production. You look at what Dorance Armstrong has done. He’s right there from a production standpoint with Randy.” (Michael Gehlken)

Eagles

Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell, a fifth-round pick who saw action during the injury to RB Miles Sanders, is ready to prove even more during his second season in the league.

“I’m trying to go into Year 2 and go crazy,” Gainwell said, via Josh Tolentino of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Year 1 was good for me. But I feel like Coach Sirianni, he knows what he got out of me. I’m coming back and I’m going to go off.”