NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

Cowboys first-round LB Micah Parsons has been one of the standouts of camp in the early goings in Dallas. Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy has a history of taking it slow with rookies but that’s probably not going to be the case with Parsons. 

“He needs to play opening day,” McCarthy said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “You have to trust what your eyes are telling you. And when I watch him, I see a fluid and explosive player. This game’s not too big for him. Some guys run 4.3. Some guys play 4.3. He’s the kind of guy who plays fast. He looks like he’s done this at this level before.”

• McCarthy told reporters QB Dak Prescott will not play in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game and the team has backed off in his rehab: “We’re being a little more conservative with his rehab. We just want to make sure this doesn’t turn into something bigger.” (Jon Machota)
• McCarthy added he plans to have Prescott play in a later preseason game. (Calvin Watkins)
• McCarthy is happy with the team’s vaccination rate: “It’s a process. Most of our players are vaccinated or in the pipeline. Our team has done a great job.” (Machota)

Eagles

Eagles first-round WR Devonta Smith is expected to miss a couple of valuable weeks with an ankle injury, but QB Jalen Hurts believes the wide receiver will come back strong.

“Smitty’s a pretty smart guy,” Hurts said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic. “It’s always valuable to have somebody in practice and on the grass and get those reps, but in due time, he’ll be back. We’ll continue to get better in other aspects.”

Berman notes that WR Jalen Reagor, WR Greg Ward, and WR Travis Fulgham worked with the first team in Smith’s absence. Reagor got more work with the first team as he rebounds from his own lower-body injury.

Giants

Giants HC Joe Judge said new WR Kenny Golladay is already proving himself in New York and is the kind of player that the team needs.

“One thing I’ve been very encouraged with Kenny is, first off, the guy is tremendous to work with in meetings,” Judge said, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I mean, this guy is keyed in, focused, locked in, like he’s staring through you the whole time. He’s absorbing everything. He’s very, very ahead on how he pays attention in meetings and he carries it over to the field. Mentally, he’s really caught up really fast on what we’re asking him to do.”

• Golladay ended up leaving Giants practice on Tuesday after suffering an apparent hamstring injury, which has been problematic for him in the past. 
• Giants CB Logan Ryan said the team’s brawl in practice doesn’t mean there are any locker room issues: “Everybody in that locker room in united, we’re happy to be teammates. We want to stay together. As a leader of this team, we’re fine. We’re still together.” (Ralph Vacchiano)

Washington

• Washington HC Ron Rivera said DE James Smith-Williams and DT Jonathan Allen are day-to-day with injuries. (Nicki Jhabvala)
• Rivera also had praise for S Deshazor Everett who was activated from the injured lists on Tuesday: “Deshazor isn’t just a good safety, he’s a heck of a special teams player for us. It was good to have him back.” (Jhabvala)