NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

• New Cowboys’ DC Dan Quinn signed a three-year deal, which matches the length of OC Kellen Moore’s new contract. The team plans to employ both coordinators through the 2023 NFL season. (Todd Archer)

Eagles

• Albert Breer says it wasn’t difficult to understand why things didn’t work out between HC Doug Pederson and the Eagles. There was staff turnover coming off of their Super Bowl win in which the team lost OC Frank Reich, QB coach John DeFilippo and DC Jim Schwartz. 
• Breer adds that the coaching turnover lasted over two seasons and eventually owner Jeffrey Lurie decided that it was time to make a bigger change, which didn’t come as a surprise. 
• There are connections between Pederson and Jets’ GM Joe Douglas, yet Breer would be willing to bet that New York goes in a different direction for their new head coaching hire.
• Breer notes that one possible replacement for Pederson is Chiefs’ passing game coordinator Mike Kafka, as the team was interested in him as offensive coordinator last season and GM Howie Roseman knows him well from his time as a backup quarterback in Philadelphia.
• Tim McManus of ESPN says now that Pederson has moved on, the chances of QB Carson Wentz remaining with the team have increased, as his relationship with Pederson was reportedly beyond repair. McManus goes on to say that Wentz could possibly return to his role as a franchise quarterback in Philadelphia if the new head coach feels strongly about him.
• Trading Wentz would create the largest dead-cap hit in the history of the league at $30 million, according to McManus.
• McManus also notes that the Eagles are still in a good position to land a new head coach, as none of the vacancies around the league have been filled up to this point. 
• Aside from Kafka, McManus lists other potential candidates including Chiefs’ OC Eric Bieniemy, Panthers’ OC Joe Brady, Bills’ OC Brian Daboll, and Titans’ OC Arthur Smith.
• Oklahoma Sooners’ HC Lincoln Riley and Eagles Assistant HC/RB coach Duce Staley are two others rumored to be in the mix, according to McManus. Lurie himself also said that he expects Staley to be a candidate.
• Bo Wulf of The Athletic says he would be surprised if the new Eagles coach was not one of the following: Riley, Daboll, Smith, Bieniemy, Brady, Staley, or Buccaneers’ OC Byron Leftwich.
• Josina Anderson reports the Eagles are hoping to fly 49ers DC Robert Saleh down to Florida to meet with Lurie after his meeting with the Eagles. 

Giants

• ESPN’s Field Yates says Giants DT Dalvin Tomlinson will be a priority for the team to extend but if they can’t he should do well on the open market. 
• Per SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, Giants HC Joe Judge admitted that QB Daniel Jones was definitely hobbled late in the season: “Sometimes injuries are worse than initially let on to. His was definitely a significant injury that bothered him the rest of the year.”
• Judge highlighted the extension for DC Patrick Graham as one of the more important moves of the offseason: “Keeping Pat here was definitely a priority for us. We know Pat’s going to have a lot of opportunities going forward. That, to me, was huge.” (Vacchiano)

Washington

Washington DE Ryan Kerrigan took a back seat to star youngsters Chase Young and Montez Sweat this year. But the veteran was still effective in his limited opportunities, notching 5.5 sacks on 38 percent of the snaps and becoming the franchise’s all-time sacks leader. With his deal expiring, though, the 32-year-old Kerrigan is looking for a starting opportunity with what will surely be a different team. 

“I definitely want to be a starter,” Kerrigan said via Sam Fortier of the Washington Post. “I mean, I think any player would say that. I don’t think anybody just wants to settle for being a role player or a reserve player. . . . I’ve got to really be open-minded to several factors and open-minded to all teams, and that’s kind of what I plan to do. I definitely feel like I’ve still got a lot of ball in me, a lot of good productive years ahead.”