NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

• Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said he believes LT Tyron Smith (neck), RT La’el Collins (hip), and RG Zack Martin (calf) will be “as good as we’ve seen them in a long time. They’re healthy. They’re over their injuries.” (Michael Gehlken)
• Jones also commented on the debate between cornerback prospects Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn: “It’s a great debate. I can assure you there’s been no final decision on that.” (Jon Machota)
• Ian Rapoport tells Cowboys’ fans not to get their hopes up on Florida TE Kyle Pitts, as the Cowboys are unlikely to trade up for anyone at their current spot.

• Josina Anderson cites a source within the Cowboys who tells her that they like both South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn and Alabama CB Patrick Surtain and would be comfortable selecting either at No. 10: “Like them both. Would be happy to get either if we go corner.”

Eagles

• Regarding Eagles TE Zach Ertz, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice expects the Eagles to either receive a Day 3 selection for Ertz or finally release him with a June 1 designation.  
• Should the Eagles trade OT Andre Dillard, Kempski could see the Eagles getting at best a 2020 fourth-round pick in exchange for the offensive tackle. 
• As for G Brandon Brooks, Kempski believes the Eagles floated his name around league circles as a trade candidate before deciding to restructure his contract for next season. In the end, Kempski writes that dealing Brooks this offseason “wouldn’t make any sense.” 
• Kempski also notes that the Eagles would respectively save $10,051,000 and $2,183,000 by trading DE Derek Barnett and CB Avonte Maddox. 
• Kempski also mentions Eagles OL Matt Pryor and WR John Hightower as two more trade candidates but admits that Philadelphia likely wouldn’t much compensation for either. 

Giants

Giants’ GM Dave Gettleman still appears to covet a pass rusher in the year’s draft, especially when mentioning the team’s current group, including Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines.

“Those guys, I wish that Lorenzo and (Ximines) had been able to play the whole season last year, but you know what, they couldn’t, so we filled in with some guys and did the best we could,” Gettleman said, via Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com. “We’re going to do better. It’s really hard to take a guy at 11 that you’re betting on the potential. In the NFL, I’ve got to be really cognizant of the coaches. They’re under the pressure to win all the time. Every Sunday is a referendum on their skills as coaches and you’ve got to be really careful when you start taking guys that high that you love the physical skills and the potential, but how long is it going to take for it to show on the field? So that’s kind of the balance I have to get to.”

Gettleman also mentioned that versatility is something that they look for in a draft pick, such as current Giants’ DB Julian Love‘s ability to play both cornerback and safety.

“It’s really the linebacker fit and the versatility we’re looking for with certain players,” Gettleman said. “You’d like to have a talented two-way go guy, a guy that can go and do a couple of things. You turn around and you take a look at what [CB] Julian Love has developed into, where he’s a corner, he’s a safety, he’s here, he’s there. It gives the coordinator a lot of flexibility, so that’s where that’s at.”

Giants’ director of college scouting Chris Pettit was asked about the idea of New York drafting an edge rusher at pick No. 11.

“I wouldn’t say it’s too rich for edge rushers,” Pettit said. “Edge rushers are how you win. You win with guys that rush the passer. Where they are on the board, we’ll see how it shakes out, there are a lot of factors to it, but I wouldn’t say there aren’t guys available. I think it’s a good group, I do. … There’s a bunch of them, there are different ones, different types, which we like, there are ones that fit our system, so I think it’s a good group. I think it’s obviously an important position that we look to fill every year, not this year over any other year.”