NFC Notes: Jordan Davis, Shedeur Sanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson had an underwhelming 2024 season that was filled with injuries and different quarterbacks, including the injury to Dak Prescott. Ferguson isn’t looking to make excuses and plans to do what’s required to get himself back into Pro Bowl form. 

“Yeah, I mean, even if I didn’t [have Dak Prescott], that’s not an excuse,” Ferguson said, via Patrik Walker of the team’s website. “I mean, if I’m out there, I gotta be producing and playing my best ball. And, if I’m not, I’m hurting the team, so, in my eyes, if I’m playing, I’m 100%.”

“Yeah, I think it’s almost like every other year, maybe a little bit more, but I know what it takes. I was [in the] Pro Bowl one year and, last year, not the year that I wanted to have. Just going through, going back and reassessing myself after this season, just knowing what it’s gonna take. I’m cutting out some of the bad things in my life —whether it be food, whatever it may be — and I am really locking in with Dak and making sure I’m keying on all the offensive keys with the new coaching staff.”

Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman explained the importance of generating a pass rush from the interior of the defensive line, as the team opted to exercise the fifth-year option of DT Jordan Davis.

“Obviously, interior pass rush is a huge deal in the National Football League,” Roseman said, via NY Times. “Getting quick pressure on quarterbacks is a huge deal. And I think you’ve seen our resources shift that way a little bit here in the last few years because that’s the quickest way to really get pressure. … You gotta continue to refresh those positions and continue to build depth along both your lines. So I think for us, we feel like having good players in those positions, obviously, we have a bunch returning on our roster that we’re excited about. But those are huge spots for us to continue to grow, and the best place to find them is in the draft. Those markets are expensive when you get into free agency.”

Roseman went on to explain how he views the fifth-year option as a team-building tool.

“Well, it’s only a tool if the player’s a good player,” Roseman said. “And so at the end of the day, it goes back to making the right picks and picking the right person and the right player and ensuring that we have the right process to do that. And that’s the work that we’re doing now that we’ve been doing for a long time here. You know, you need a little luck that players that are good people and players fall to you in the draft. And so when those things combine, that gives you an opportunity to keep guys on your team for the long term.”

Giants

According to Ian Rapoport, the Giants would’ve taken QB Shedeur Sanders if QB Jaxson Dart was already off the board.

“Jaxson Dart the player probably gives them more options, more different directions, more dynamic ways they could run this offense. And, yeah, the hope is that he’s the quarterback of the future,” he said, via Giants Wire. “What we talked about pre-draft, Tom, was for the Giants, as they were debating to take a quarterback at three, thought it was maybe Shedeur Sanders. I do believe, had Dart not been there for the Giants, trading up for Shedeur Sanders was very much a possibility, something they were absolutely thinking about.“