NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper mentioned that he and the rest of his teammates are ready for the 2020 season after training consistently over the offseason. 

“I feel like I’m ready like any other year because I’ve been training. Everybody has been training and everybody has been working hard in the offseason. And everybody is on an even playing field because all the teams are starting late. Whatever the situation is, we’re going to be ready. I know I’m going to be ready,” said Cooper, via Jon Machota. 

Cooper believes the Cowboys could have three 1,000-yard receivers with Michael Gallup, first-round CeeDee Lamb, and himself. 

“I think it was a great pick up,” Cooper said, via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “You have to draft the best player on the board. Everyone understands that. I think he’s a great receiver. I think with me and Michael Gallup going for 1,000 yards last season, I think the expectation is to have three, 1,000-yard receivers this year.”

Cooper praised Lamb’s route running and thinks there are “very small, nit-picky things” that he could help the receiver with. 

“He already has a good foundation, is fundamentally sound in route running,” Cooper said. “It’s very small, nit-picky things that I may help him with being a rookie.”

Giants

• Per NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton, Giants HC Joe Judge is happy the team was able to keep OLB Markus Golden: “I’m excited Markus is back in the building with us. … Obviously his reputation throughout the league is a very solid one. He was someone we wanted to have on the team. We’re lucky it worked out the way it is.”
• Judge says Giants OL Nick Gates will work primarily at center and offensive tackle in practice but New York loves his versatility. (Matt Lombardo)

Washington

Coming in as a rookie last year, Washington QB Dwayne Haskins struggled to pick up previous HC Jay Gruden‘s bulky West Coast offense which made headlines. This year, though, new HC Ron Rivera said Haskins is doing a much better job grasping the playbook and is putting himself in a good position to rebound from a disappointing rookie year. 

“He’s done a great job of studying, preparing and getting himself ready for this,” Rivera said via the Athletic’s Ben Standig. “He’s been great. He’s been on the field, doing the things we’ve asked of him. He’s done the extra stuff that he and I talked about in the offseason. He’s done the things that, I think, puts him right there where he needs to be at this junction of where we are in our training, having only been able to do Zoom and now only having four days of work on the field. He’s done the job that I think deserves recognition, so I appreciate you asking about that.”

• Rivera said this offseason he wanted to wait before handing out any extensions, including for G Brandon Scherff. Rivera said he’s been impressed with Scherff so far but it remains to be seen what happens in negotiations after the season: “It’s one of those things that again, going into the offseason, who knows? We’ll see what happens during the season, but he is somebody that has been as good as advertised so far.”
• Scherff told reporters he’s also not worrying about a long-term deal as he plays out the 2020 season on the franchise tag. (Rhiannon Walker)