NFC Notes: Marshawn Kneeland, Jalen Hurts, Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles

Commanders

• According to Aaron Wilson, the Commanders worked out the following players: RG Jack Anderson, P Paxton Brooks, RG Bobby Evans, P Patrick Luby and RT Isaiah Prince. 

Cowboys

Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence is entering year 11 in the league and embracing his leadership side with younger teammates. Lawrence had high praise for second-round DL Marshawn Kneeland but wouldn’t say Kneeland is the new version of himself. 

“He has a lot of ambition, grit with his game,” Lawrence said, via the team’s YouTube. “His fundamentals are pretty clean, especially for a rookie. It’s a high ceiling for him. I’m going to keep working with him as much as I can. I definitely think he’s going to evolve into something even better than me.”

“Not as much as y’all say. Me is me. God didn’t make too many DeMarcus Lawrences, you know? At least that I know of. But Marshawn definitely has some instinctive play to his style. He’s down, dirty, gritty. He’s 275; I never played at 275, so it’s definitely a little difference, but I like the grit about him.”

Eagles

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts called former Giants DC Wink Martindale last season to get pointers on how to improve with different looks.

“I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” Martindale said, via PFT. “It’s the first time I’ve had an opposing quarterback call me up. I thought it was pretty cool that the guy called. It shows you what kind of pro he really is. He’s just looking at every angle that he can to get better.”

Hurts explained what the 30 minute conversation with Martindale entailed.

“I was just trying to pick his brain, see what he saw in us, and try to get some tips on some things,” Hurts said. “I think it’s more so from trying to continue to pour into my cup in terms of knowledge. I’ve had a lot of respect for what he’s done and we’ve had a lot of success versus him. I think that was a point where we were definitely trying to make a run, make a push. I was just trying to pour into my cup of knowledge from him and pick his brain on some things. And [he’s a] very respectable person — a great person in that [he’s] a great coach and has a great mentality about how he goes about his business.”

Hurts has also spoken with former Eagles coordinators Vic Fangio and Jonathan Gannon to get extra perspective on what the opposing team is trying to do in different sets.

“[H]aving those conversations with him and seeing what certain techniques defensive backs are playing, what his intentions are behind each play, what is he trying to take away, what is he vulnerable at — all of that is just an extra tool for me and my development and understanding where the voids are so I can play better football,” Hurts said.