Commanders

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin said dealing with the contract dispute and injuries made for the toughest year of his life.

“This last year was the hardest year of my life — from the contract and getting hurt, and you know, I’ve been going through some stuff off the field, just personally,” McLaurin said, via The Athletic. “It’s been extremely challenging.”

McLaurin added that he’s playing more freely after signing a contract extension with the team, securing his future.

“I’ve seen myself grow as a man, grow spiritually, and grow as a teammate,” McLaurin said. “So I just feel like I’m in a great space. … I wouldn’t trade anything because it’s built me into the person I am right now, and I just feel like I’m playing with a type of freedom that I haven’t had. So I’m just looking forward to spilling that out for my team this year.”

McLaurin added that he welcomed WR Stefon Diggs and believes that he shares similar traits with him on the field.

“It’s kind of like the Spider-Man meme of them pointing at each other,” McLaurin said. “We just have the same mentality on the field: workhorses who want to be perfectionists, but also energy-givers. I need competitors. Dogs. I think we’re going to just elevate one another. The competitiveness of our room is going to continue to elevate. I think when you put a lot of great players on the football field, it forces the defense to have to respect 100 yards vertically, 53 yards the width of the field. And when you bring a guy like Stefon to our team, he’s a winner. … He’s made players better, quarterbacks, receivers, teams; no matter where he’s gone, and he plays with an edge, similar to myself.”

Cowboys

Cowboys DE Donovan Ezeiruaku was thrown out of practice earlier this month for throwing a punch, as HC Brian Schottenheimer is putting an emphasis on treating practices like games, and that’s an offense that will get Ezeiruaku ejected on Sundays. Schottenheimer had a long talk with Ezeiruaku after practice following the incident. 

“I just talked to him about [how] we’re playing this the way you would play a game. And I said, ‘For an incredible player, you run hot’; that’s part of his edge,” Schottenheimer said via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “He’s an incredible play-style guy. He plays the game the right way, but at the same time, we have to have a plan that when he gets hot and when he feels his temperature rising, what is the plan?

“So he and I discussed a couple different options. I think we’ve got a good thing in place, but again, I don’t want to take away the edge that he plays on. But you throw a punch, you’ve gone over the edge, therefore you’re going to get ejected.”

Eagles

Eagles OL Willie Lampkin was a stash the team made last year, claiming him when the Rams waived him with an injury designation and keeping him on injured reserve all season. Now he’s back, healthy and looking to prove his unique 5-11, 270-pound frame doesn’t preclude him from playing in the NFL. 

“You’ve seen Willie continue to get better, and you notice him even more once the pads come on,” Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said via Pro Football Talk. “He has the ability to play center or guard, good versatility, smart guy, really athletic. He’s been fun to watch at camp. We find ourselves as coaches when we’re watching tape, just kind of being like, ‘Man, Willie did it again.’ And Willie’s getting some really good guys to go up against. So that’s tested every day, and we’re just looking for him to continue to grow and continue to show what he can do because it’s about consistency. We all want consistency, to have that steady growth of getting better, but you’re building trust, and I think Willie is building trust with his teammates because you build trust by consistently doing what you’re supposed to do out there, and Willie’s been doing that. I know not only the coaches, but we’re all impressed by Willie.”