NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

• Clarence Hill of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram reports LB Jaylon Smith declined the Cowboys’ request to remove his injury guarantee for 2022 as he likely would’ve been cut at some point in the offseason if he accepted. 
• ESPN’s Todd Archer notes that the Cowboys will receive no cap credit from Smith’s deal from the Packers and he is essentially “double-dipping” given he’s set to earn $7.2 million from Dallas in addition to a contract with Green Bay. 
• Smith will make a base salary of $770,000 for the rest of the 2021 season in Green Bay. (Ian Rapoport)
• Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said OL Connor McGovern has looked “much better” during practice while at center and “needs reps” at the position: “He definitely needs reps there. …I’d say he definitely has improved.” (Michael Gehlken)

Eagles

Regarding the Eagles’ defense ranking near the bottom of the league in several categories, DC Jonathan Gannon said they are continuing to determine what works best for their players. 

“Just because I like something, or the coaches like something, if the players can’t execute it, or it’s not the best thing for them, throw it away,” Gannon said, via Les Bowen of the Associated Press. “The last two games, we’re continuing to figure that out as we go. And we need to figure it out fast. Because we can’t keep looking like that. I know that.”

Gannon is confident that their defense is improving and feels pressure on himself to put his players in better positions. 

“We don’t really have a lot of guys making the same mistake over and over again. I think we continue to improve,” Gannon said. “My level of patience, it’s wearing thin on myself. ‘Hey, Jonathan, let’s get them in better position, so we give our team a chance to win the game.’ It’s not really toward getting irritated at the players. That’s how I’ll always roll, that’s how the coaches roll.”

Gannon does not think the Eagles’ defense does well in a dime system. 

“We’re not really a dime team right now,” Gannon said. “I just don’t believe in it right now, with who we are.”

• Eagles DT Fletcher Cox said he is playing two different positions, which isn’t allowing him to get into a rhythm: “It’s just one of those things where it’s hard to get settled into a game when you’re playing so many positions, doing so many things.” (Tim McManus)
• Eagles OT Lane Johnson missed another practice on Thursday due to a personal issue. (Jeff McLane)
• McLane notes that it seems “more and more unlikely” that Johnson will be in the lineup for Week 5.

Giants

• ESPN’s Field Yates has the details of the Giants’ restructure of CB James Bradberry‘s deal last week. New York converted $4,091,667 of his base salary into a fully guaranteed roster bonus and added a void year to create $2,727,778 in 2021 cap space. 
• The Athletic’s Dan Duggan says this makes an extension for Bradberry in 2022 a stronger possibility as a way to lower his sizable cap hits going forward. 

Washington

• According to ESPN’s John Keim, Washington had an interest in signing former Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith before he landed with the Packers.
• Aaron Wilson reports the Washington Football Team worked out RB Reggie Bonnafon.
• Former Washington director of sports medicine Bubba Tyer is helping the team out while head trainer Ryan Vermillion is on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation. (Nicki Jhabvala) 
• Washington officially protected the following players on their practice squad for Week 5: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, QB Kyle Shurmur, DE Bunmi Rotimi, C Keith Ismael.