NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Washington, Terry McLaurin

Cowboys

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports Cowboys VP Will McClay‘s extension is for three years in a deal that was agreed to yesterday.
• Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott said his knee feels healthy entering Sunday’s game vs. San Francisco: “I feel good. The knee feels solid, not really getting any stiffness out of it.” (Michael Gehlken)
• Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence said the team has to stay true to itself on Sunday: “Just staying true to our game plan. As defensive ends, that’s our job. Point, blank, period: Must set the edge. Turn the ball back inside and make plays. They like attacking the edge, but you know, we like setting edged.” (Calvin Watkins)

Eagles

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni told reporters that he believes in what QB Jalen Hurts can do in the first round of the playoffs and has improved since last facing their rivals.

“I think significantly,” the coach said, via NFL.com. “He has definitely gotten better throughout that time, which doesn’t surprise me at all because Jalen is a student of the game. Jalen wants to get better and craves to get better. He has a high football character and, like I have said plenty of times, guys that are tough, guys that have high football character, and guys who love football are going to reach their ceiling. I think you’re just seeing him grow closer and closer to his ceiling. Yeah, he’s definitely better and he’s just going to continue to get better because of who he is as a person and as a player.”

• Eagles CB Steven Nelson was a healthy scratch in Week 18, which prevented him from reaching a 90 percent play-time incentive worth $375,000. However, the team gave him a $375,000 signing bonus to make up for it on the day before. (Field Yates)

Giants

Matt Lombardo thinks that 49ers Vice President of Player Personnel Adam Peters should be the Giants’ top target this offseason as their new general manager.

“Adam Peters would be an absolute home run hire for the Giants,” an NFL agent said, via Matt Lombardo of FanSided.com. “Carolina made a big mistake not hiring him as their general manager last year. Get that guy, let him hire his head coach, and the organization will be moving in the right direction.”

• The Giants will hold GM interviews with Titans executives Monti Ossenfort and Ryan Cowden on Friday. (Art Stapleton)

Washington

Washington WR Terry McLaurin wants to remain in Washington for the near future, though he does understand why there’s speculation about whether or not he’ll sign an extension with the team this offseason.

“I wouldn’t say (extension buzz is) necessarily weird, because it’s like, I’m going into my fourth year,” McLaurin said, via The Athletic. “So it’s obviously a possible question, but I’m under contract for another year. So I don’t think — as long as everybody wants me back, I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere, as of next year.”

Washington HC Ron Rivera spoke of assessment instead of commitment when talking about the roster moving forward.

“No, what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna evaluate our roster when we’re finished this coming week and talk about all the guys that we have and what our future looks like with all these guys,” Rivera said. “I think out of that meeting, we’ll have conclusions on a lot of these guys.”

McLaurin doesn’t have an opinion on who the team’s starting quarterback is next season, and is leaving that up to the team’s decision-makers.

“I don’t really have any control of the quarterback situation, who they bring in, who we have,” McLaurin said. “I think what I’ve proven up to this point is I’ll play with whoever is back there and try to make them look good. And make sure they can trust that I’m going to get my job done. So, you know, I’m looking for an opportunity to be able to play with whomever and, and go from there.”

McLaurin called it “humbling” that he’ll be a part of the team’s name change, which is expected to be announced on February 2nd.

“With this rich history of this organization, to be a guy in his third year to be able to help with this rebranding and this new culture shift, I don’t take that lightly,” McLaurin said. “I would like to think that speaks to what they think of me and what I mean to this organization.”

• Washington was willing to give Cowboys WR Amari Cooper $20 million a year when he was briefly a free agent a couple of seasons ago and one NFL talent evaluator told Standig McLaurin is a more consistent player. Another added: “McLaurin should be a cornerstone piece of that franchise. I’d rather pay him than Cooper any day.”
• Rivera clarified he absolutely wants the team to sign McLaurin to a long-term deal: “I love Terry. We’re going to do everything we can (to keep him).” (Standig)