NFC Notes: Cowboys, Seahawks, Washington

Cowboys

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said the three most important players on the team are OL Zack Martin, La’el Collins and Tyron Smith.

“They’re the most important, if you ask me,” Prescott said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “From the time that I got drafted until now, this offense is built off of those guys. They’re the three most veteran guys on this team, and that’s for a reason. Those guys are walk-in Pro Bowl guys when they’re healthy, future Hall of Famers. Just to have those three guys lead the five guys up front, everything starts with them. The run game, that allows the pass game to open up. When you have those guys back healthy, energized, it’s special.”

Meanwhile, Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said all three linemen looked good in OTAs and minicamp.

“I’m loving the positive vibes. They look great out there,” McCarthy said. “Tyron, going off last year’s experience, I have never seen him smile as much. A big part of it is he is healthy. He is pain-free. He looks great. LC looks great and the big man can run. … We definitely are a different line when those two guys line up. There is no question about that. It will be great to have them out there on an individual basis [after] what they have gone through last year. It definitely makes our line, our whole process up front, move a lot smoother.”

Collins mentioned he feels much better recovering from his hip injury. 

“To be honest with you, I’m just starting to feel like myself again,” Collins said. “It feels good. I’m working overtime just with treatment and physical therapy to make sure this thing is right, and all the hard work is definitely paying off.”

Seahawks

When asked about new OC Shane Waldron, Seahawks’ HC Pete Carroll says that he has given him free rein over the team’s offense so far this offseason.

“I have not gotten in his way because he has such command of what he’s doing,” Carroll said, via Larry Stone of SeattleTimes.com. “He knows how it fits together, and he’s been able to orchestrate the teaching process in a way that’s allowed us to do quite a few things for this offseason. You can hear from the players; they’re impressed with him. He’s just left them with a really good impression of his command, his verbiage. These guys are really moving far. They’re impressed, I’m impressed. Russ has just totally embraced it. There’s already a chemistry brewing here. They’re already working together really well.”

Washington

• Sam Fortier of the Washington Post reports that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has refused the franchise’s request to trademark the name Washington Football Team, claiming that the name refers to a geographic area that is too generic and someone has already trademarked the name.