NFC Notes: Eagles, Giants, Redskins

Eagles

Eagles G Brandon Brooks is no stranger to overcoming adversity. Brooks has been open about his battles with anxiety and has been an advocate for mental health for athletes. He’s had no shortage of physical obstacles either to lean on as he enters rehab for his second torn Achilles of his career. 

“When you’ve walked on the dark side so many times, your eyes adjust and you see light when there’s no light,” Brooks said via NBC Sports’ John Clark. “It’s to the point now when I take that lonely walk through hell, I see the devil himself and let him know: ‘I’m back to tear this mfer up once again.’ And for him to say, ‘F—, not this mfer again.’  I welcome s— like this, so I bring it like others want to, what others can’t.”

Giants

When he first took the job with the Giants, new HC Joe Judge caused a minor stir when he refused to discuss any of his players by name, even presumptive franchise QB Daniel Jones. Judge’s rationale was that he had not evaluated or coached any of them and it would be unfair to offer his opinion. Now that’s he’s had the chance to work with Jones for a few months, though, Judge has nothing but praise about the 2019 first-round pick. 

“I think the first thing of being a leader is demonstrating to the team how you come prepared to work every day and how you perform,” Judge said via the Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “I think what he’s done every day is showed up with good urgency, he’s demonstrated to the rest of the team that he’s prepared and when we talk about performing, when we have conversations in meetings or we ask guys questions in meetings, his example of performing has been giving the correct answer on the situation or scenario that we’re talking about.”

• Judge didn’t have any updates on 2019 first-round CB Deandre Baker, who has not been meeting with the team since being charged for armed robbery: “All I want to say on that situation right there is he’s still on our roster. I’m not going to ever comment on any ongoing legal situation.”
• He also didn’t have any updates about how Giants TE Evan Engram (foot) and LB Ryan Connelly (knee) were rehabbing from season-ending injuries. 
• Judge noted Engram has a rare skillset for a tight end and it will be up to the coaches to find ways to highlight it: “Evan has an element of speed for his position, which is rare. He’s an explosive guy with the ball in his hands. The one thing about that guy is you definitely do want to get in his hands and let him go ahead and make a play.”

Redskins

• NBC Sports’ JP Finlay writes that not even the Redskins’ coaching staff has any idea of how the tight end position will shake out in 2020. 
• Finlay points out Washington signed TE Logan Thomas in free agency with a $2 million signing bonus and he started all 16 games last year for the Lions, though he caught just 16 passes. 
• Finlay adds Redskins TE Jeremy Sprinkle also has starting experience and new TE Richard Rodgers‘ father is on the coaching staff. 
• He also mentions undrafted rookie TE Thaddeus Moss as the wildcard of the group. He fell in the draft in part due to a foot injury but is an intriguing developmental option. 
• The Athletic’s Mike Sando lists the Redskins as a team that should pursue free-agent QB Colin Kaepernick. When Sando polled NFL evaluators in 2016 before Kaepernick’s protest, he was generally seen as a high-level backup.