NFC Notes: Ezekiel Elliott, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles

Commanders

Commanders rookie CB Mike Sainristil is happy to be in Washington and thought he would be drafted to Pittsburgh at 51.

“I thought I was going to the Steelers at 51,” Sainristil said, via Commanders Wire. “But I felt my phone vibrating, I looked down, and there was a Virginia number. I’m like, ‘man, who the heck from Virginia’s calling me right now.’ I pick up the phone and right away, my heart was just, I felt at ease. I felt at peace. My mind was finally at peace. When I met with Coach (Dan) Quinn here in Michigan, the meeting we had, everything about it was good. The vibes were great. I could just tell how every coach that was in there was speaking. They had a genuine love and appreciation for myself, and it was definitely reciprocated. I felt that was a meeting that I left feeling very, very comfortable. And I appreciated the conversation that the coaches had with me. And I’m just very excited to get to Washington and get the ball rolling.”

• Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Commanders gave UDFA CB Chig Anusiem a $50k signing bonus and $300k base salary due to his high demand once the draft concluded. 

Cowboys

• Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on free agent RB Ezekiel Elliott: “Zeke, as we all know, is one of our favorites. He’s laid it on the line for this franchise. He’s the ultimate competitor and we obviously think a lot of him. It was good to run into him and Rocky. We just had a little beer and moved on.” (Jon Machota)
• Dallas owner Jerry Jones added: “We don’t have any issue. He has laid it on the line for the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Cowboys have laid it on the line for Zeke.” (Machota)
• Before deciding to bring back Elliott, the Cowboys also “discussed internally at length” signing RB Dalvin Cook instead. (Michael Gehlken)
• 2024 seventh-round OL Nathan Thomas did have an official 30 visit with the Cowboys despite it not being previously reported. (Todd Archer)
• Packers 2024 third-round RB Marshawn Lloyd also had an official 30 visit with Dallas. (Archer)
• Cowboys UDFA TE Brevyn Spann-Ford signed for a total of $245,000 guaranteed, including a $225,000 salary guarantee plus a $20,000 signing bonus. (Michael Gehlken)

Eagles

Many speculated that the Eagles could draft Clemson LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., as his father played several seasons for the team during his career. Eagles GM Howie Roseman noted that Trotter Jr. was on the team’s draft board all along as they eventually moved up to select him in the fifth round.

“You have to stick to your board,” Roseman told reporters, via Pro Football Talk. “We can’t make up a grade on any player just because we like them. I make a joke a lot of times. You know, the best person I know in the world is my wife, and I don’t want her playing linebacker for us, either.”

“I think for us, at the end of the day, you have to have a certain skillset to play at any position in the National Football League, and so we’re looking for a skillset, and we’re drafting players based on a skillset,” Roseman added. “As much as you like those stories, and it’s a great story without the ending, you know. We just started that story, but it’s got to be skillset, and he has a skillset, and that’s why we drafted him. He has a mentality. That’s why we drafted him. We’re looking forward to him being his own person and not having to walk in anyone’s footsteps, but creating his own legacy.”