Cowboys

Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay explained why the team traded for WR George Pickens.

“We had a game plan going into (the offseason) about wanting to address the position and adding some stuff there,” McClay said, via the NY Times. “Be it in free agency, be it through the draft, or after the draft. So, free agency didn’t happen, the draft didn’t fall the way it did, so we continued to work and making those connections and conversations throughout the process, you kind of felt things that could happen. So when that one came up, we just felt like it was the right move and the right investment for us.”

McClay said Pickens has contested catch ability and has fit in the locker room as well.

“A really unique individual, No. 1,” McClay said, “from the standpoint that he loves football, loves his teammates, and a rare talent from a standpoint of being able to track a football and have the body control to make those contested catches. In the NFL, you got to win one-on-ones, you got to make those catches. He can make catches when he’s covered.”

Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson said that Pickens is going to help open up the field for the rest of the offense.

“He opens up the whole field,” Ferguson said. “He’s a threat as soon as you see him. You can’t double both (Pickens and Lamb). If you try, that just opens up so much more. Watching him just from camp, OTAs even, like the way he can contort his body in the air and make that catch, it’s unbelievable.”

Cowboys

The Cowboys shocked the NFL world by trading Micah Parsons to the Packers in exchange for two first-round draft picks and DT Kenny Clark. Owner Jerry Jones reflected on the deal, saying he had an epiphany to provide cap room and draft capital to HC Brian Schottenheimer, so they can properly build around their new coach. 

“My mirror is saying, ‘Come on, let’s change something up. Let’s do something a little different here,'” Jones said, via Ed Werder of WFAA. “Well, how about Brian Schottenheimer? How about loading up with some resources called cap room and draft picks? And how about bringing on those kinds of changes? How about philosophically doing our defense a little different? How about bringing in some better blocking on the offensive line? We have done all that and this is part of that.”

Werder cites an anonymous general manager from an AFC team who thinks Dallas should’ve made a move earlier in the offseason, given the sudden trade could send shockwaves through the team. 

“Dallas should have made this move prior to the eve of the season,” the GM said. “(It) sends bad vibes thru the locker room. This move should’ve been done in the spring if they were willing to move Parsons.” 

The GM added that making Parsons available during the spring could’ve opened a bidding war for him and, therefore, gotten the best possible compensation. 

“They did the best they could under the circumstances,” the GM said. “Ideally, if you do this in the spring, (you) might be able to create a bidding war with an established price and get the best compensation possible.”

Giants

After their Week 1 loss to the Commanders, Giants HC Brian Daboll didn’t commit to QB Russell Wilson when asked about a Week 2 starter. Daboll had good things to say about Wilson, but remained noncommittal in his answers. 

“We’re going to get home and look at our game,” Daboll said, via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

“We’re talking about after every game. … I’ve got confidence in Russ. We’ll go back, evaluate the tape. This game isn’t on Russell Wilson. It’s not on Russell Wilson. Let me make that clear. I have confidence in Russ. We have to do a better job all the way around.”

• Giants LB Micah McFadden was carted off with a serious-looking leg injury on Sunday. Daboll said he avoided breaking his leg, but they’re still doing scans. For now, it seems the injury is more to his foot. (Jordan Raanan)