NFC Notes: Michael Gallup, Darren Waller, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

Commanders DB Kam Curl said he showed up to voluntary OTA’s despite ongoing contract negotiations because he likes being around his teammates.

“Nah, you know, I am just coming to work being with the guys,” Curl said, via Commanders Wire. “I like being around my team; that’s why I’m here.”

Commanders HC Ron Rivera said the team wants to extend Curl, but can’t make any significant investments due to ownership change.

“For the most part, everything’s on hold,” Rivera said. “We’ll let the process as far as the ownership piece continues to unfold and develop. I know about as much as you guys do. As that process goes, we’ll continue to do as much of the football business as usual as we can.”

Cowboys

Cowboys WR Michael Gallup wants to put last season and its injury woes behind him. He suffered a torn ACL at the end of the 2021 season and wasn’t able to have surgery until February, putting him in a rough situation all year. 

“It was definitely frustrating, just on my part,” Gallup said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “Nothing to do with the team or anything like that, but just me coming back. I mean that was tough. I never had a big injury like that. It was different. I had to work a little bit harder. I had to do some things that I’ve never had to do. I could normally just walk out on the field and play. Couldn’t do that.”

“I’m very confident I’ll be that guy, for sure,” Gallup added on this coming season. “Very confident. It just feels different. It’s kind of like in the air. I ain’t going to lie to you. I’m smiling every time I walk in that facility.”

Gallup has drawn praise from QB Dak Prescott for his work ethic and how he looks with a full season between him and the injury. 

“Just for him to get into this offseason, get his body right, and now just starting to come back into who Michael Gallup is and feel himself, I think what you just saw is a couple of plays right there of doing that consecutively,” Prescott said. “But that’s a guy that I’ve got a lot of trust in. I know who he is, and more importantly, how he works and comes to work each and every day to get better. He’s getting his feet under him and he’s going to be better.”

Giants

Giants QB Daniel Jones said new TE Darren Waller has been living up to expectations since arriving via trade this offseason. He means that literally, too. 

“You hear about most guys and they’re listed in the program as 6-6 when they’re really like 6-4 or 6-5,” Jones said via Bob Brookover of NJ.com. “But he’s like a true 6-6 and he’s a true 250, 260 [pounds], and he can fly, and he can run all the routes.”

The Giants didn’t add a true No. 1 receiver this offseason, instead bolstering their receiving group from top to bottom with complementary players. But given Waller’s skillset, he might be their true No. 1 receiver even though he’s listed as a tight end.