NFC Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Brandon Graham

Commanders

Many within the Commander’s organization, including QB Carson Wentz, HC Ron Rivera, and WR coach Drew Terrell, continue to be impressed by first-round WR Jahan Dotson as he has made big plays during rookie and mandatory camps.

“Very precise route runner, excellent hands, very sharp, very smart young man, hard worker — has done all the things you need to do to feel good about (him)” Rivera said, via Jeremy Fowler.

“He catches the ball as naturally as anyone I’ve been around,” Wentz said. “He is no longer a novice.”

“It is pretty cool hearing those words, especially from someone like him who has been around a lot of great receivers,” Dotson said. “Hearing that, it makes me kinda want to go harder. It makes me be held to a higher standard. I like being held to a higher standard. It brings out the best in me.”

“I was going back through his tape to try and find negative plays that I could press him on,” Terrell said. “And I was watching the tape and I was like, ‘Nah, that play’s not that bad.’ ‘Nah, that play’s pretty good.’ So I didn’t have that much negative to go off of.”

“He’s a smooth cat,” Terrell added. “He’s what we expected him to be thus far in terms of his being a route runner, his ball skills, his demeanor, not flinching from the moment and being able to come out here and gain confidence every day and execute every day.”

Cowboys

Cowboys LB Micah Parsons had 13 sacks as a rookie, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. There is no doubt that he plans to aim even higher, which to Parsons means a minimum of 15 sacks in his second season in the league.

“Yeah, 15’s like the minimum,” Parsons told Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently. “Fifteen’s what I wanna hit. But definitely, 23 is that goal, to break the record.”

“None of them’s too easy. It’s really hard,” Parsons said of the quarterbacks he will face in the NFC East. “Never touched Daniel Jones; I think he got hurt our game, and he didn’t even play at all after that. And then [Carson] Wentz, I never played him. We touched [Jalen] Hurts a little bit, but I had COVID the last game. These guys are really new to me, to be honest.”

Parsons also joked that he wants to take away some interceptions from teammate CB Trevon Diggs.

“I told Tre I might lead the team in picks this year,” Parsons laughed. “We don’t got no money on it, but I’ve been really practicing my hands this year to get my hands on a couple of picks this year.”

Eagles

Eagles DE Brandon Graham will accept whatever role he’s given in Philadelphia’s defense in 2022, which is the final year of his contract. 

“I’m here right now, I’ve got another opportunity. It’s the last year on my deal, they’re gonna honor me for this year, and whatever role it is man just enjoy it. Because you didn’t have football last year, you had time with the kids, and you still got one year left of the football if that’s what you choose to do. And I’m like, man, I’m about to enjoy it,” said Graham, via Adam Hermann of NBC Sports. 

When asked how many years he’d like to play in his career, Graham responded: “Three more seasons.”

As for if he’s willing to play elsewhere, Graham said that he would be for one year given his kids are settled in Philadelphia. 

“You know what? I would. But it would only be probably for a year. The kids are together right now and they’re settled, so that always – I know they wouldn’t up and leave right away – so being away from them and the family, that would only probably last a year. We’d see how it works out, but I’d probably end up playing 14 [years] instead of 15. My goal is to finish on 15 if I could, as an Eagle.”