NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

• Per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, the Cowboys were not, from what he’s been able to ascertain, one of the two teams that reached out via back channels to former Saints HC Sean Payton. 

Giants

• According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, multiple sources have said new Giants HC Brian Daboll is very high on QB Daniel Jones and made that clear during interviews with ownership and new GM Joe Schoen, who he also worked with in Buffalo. Schoen is also apparently a believer in Jones. 
• Giants HC Brian Daboll said Jones was in the facility over the weekend when he arrived: “That’s a good thing for a young player. I know he’s excited.” (Mike Garafolo)
• Daboll is excited to work with Jones: “He’s got the right mindset, there’s a lot of things to like about Daniel. It takes a lot to raise a quarterback, and we’re going to try to give him some stability.” (Ralph Vacchiano)
• Giants owner John Mara doesn’t think Jones’ neck injury is going to be a long-term problem. (Dan Dugan)
• Mara expects Jones to be the 2022 starter: “I would be surprised if he’s not the starter (to open next season). Daniel will get a chance next year, and we’ll hopefully be able to get a fair evaluation of him. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll go to Plan B.” (Darryl Slater)
• Daboll didn’t commit to calling plays for the offense: “That offensive coordinator position will be an important position for us.” (Alaina Getzenberg)
• Schoen mentioned he would prefer Daboll not call plays. (Pat Leonard)
• Mara said he didn’t reach out to former Saints HC Sean Payton: “He is under contract with another team.” (Matt Lombardo)
• Daboll confirmed he expects DC Patrick Graham to return if he doesn’t get a head coaching job. (Art Stapleton)
• Giants DB coach Jerome Henderson is likely to return if Graham is also returning. (Dan Duggan)
• Daboll revealed he signed a five-year deal with the team. (Vacchiano)

Washington

• Per the Athletic’s Ben Standig, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy thinks Liberty QB Malik Willis best fits the criteria of what Washington HC Ron Rivera has said he’s looking for at the position: “He is a big, thick, put-together guy, really hard to get on the ground. That was my main takeaway from that UAB game. … (Like Roethlisberger), he shrugs guys off. He can make plays with guys draped all over him, around his legs. He’s just a big, strong kid, strong arm.”
• Nagy thinks if you polled evaluators around the NFL, they would put Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett at the top of their board at the position, with a grade putting him somewhere in the middle of the first round. Washington is set to pick at No. 11.