NFC Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Giants, Daniel Jones

Commanders

• According to the Athletic’s Ben Standig, the Commanders and WR Terry McLaurin have made some progress in contract talks over the past seven to 10 days. Before, there was a significant gap between the two sides in value. 
• Nothing is done until it is done, but Standig adds there’s a generally optimistic feeling about the two sides coming to an agreement. Should this stretch into training camp, however, that could change. 
• Commanders first-round WR Jahan Dotson was one of the standouts of the spring for Washington, per OC Scott Turner: “He came in, it looks like it’s not too big for him. He’s playing fast. He’s consistently getting separation, he’s catching the ball. He doesn’t say a lot. He just kind of comes out here and works, which is good, you know?”
• Washington’s first-round pick from last year, LB Jamin Davis, is also drawing praise for his improvement this season, specifically from LB Cole Holcomb: “He’s taken a lot of big steps from last year. Definitely got a better grasp on the defense. Playing outside I feel like it’s pretty natural for him. He’s taken the right steps on what he needs to do.”

Cowboys

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said that he’s slimmed down over the offseason through training and changing his diet. 

“People tell me (I’m slim). I say, ‘Thank you,’” Prescott said, via ProFootballTalk. “It’s a product of working on everything and not just on my leg. Whether it be rotation, whether it be diet or whatever, just focused on every way I can get better. I think I have just dropped some of the baby fat off.”

Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy compared Prescott this offseason to in 2021 when he was dealing with an ankle injury and is glad the quarterback hasn’t had any limitations. 

“To have no limits has been outstanding, and I think you clearly see it in the way he’s moving this year,” McCarthy said. “You look at his body. He’s clearly different than the way he was last year. He’s leaner, more flexible and just the mechanics, to be able to really get after the mechanics. Quarterback drills last year, there was a gradual phase of the different type of drills, how we did them. So there was no progression to that this year. He’s been full go since Day 1.”

Giants

Giants OC Mike Kafka says he is taking a hands-on approach with QB Daniel Jones as the latter enters the biggest season of his career.

“Daniel and I meet every morning,” Kafka told Ted Nguyen of The Athletic. “We meet early in the morning and we rank our favorite first and second downs, we’re ranking our favorite third downs, breaking our favorite red-zone plays, so that’s just the daily process. And that’s going to help me and him get comfortable with what we like and it’s kind of this open conversation about stuff that we have going in.”

As Kafka and new HC Brian Daboll work with Jones, the vision of what the offense will look like in 2022 is starting to take shape. Both come from systems that were very QB-centric in Kansas City and Buffalo and the goal is to build something similar in New York. 

“(Jones) loves having so much flexibility at the line of scrimmage with the protections, with checking stuff at the line of scrimmage, just with the ability to get on the same page with the receivers,” Kafka said. “Receivers have some flexibility with routes … you know be able to work in different voids and spaces.”

While Daboll encouraged Jones to be aggressive in practice and not worry about turnovers as much, Kafka added that is still a point of emphasis for them with Jones after he struggled in that area to start his career. 

“We watched all the fumbles and all the turnovers from Daniel and had an honest and open conversation about it,” Kafka said. He understands what he needs to improve on in those certain situations. Then we go in with a plan as coaches. We have a plan that we go and work in practice. You see Coach (Shea) Tierney drilling that stuff every single day about the ball security, about his position in the pocket and where he fits, and the timing and the rhythm that you got to play with as a quarterback.”