NFC Notes: Odell Beckam Jr., A.J. Brown, Commanders, Eagles, Giants

Commanders

The Commanders brought in former Buccaneers RB Rachaad White and former Browns RB Jerome Ford to increase their level of competition this offseason, with former Ohio State and Washington CB Shawn Springsthe son of former Cowboys RB Ron Springs, noting that the team is trying to determine which player will rise to the occasion.

“It’s called competition,” Springs said on the Get Loud podcast, via the team website. “When you wanna have a good team, you have to build depth. You like to see that it’s gonna be a tough decision. These guys are gonna have to earn it during camp. Every day at practice, they’re getting graded … They built that room to get the best players on the field.”

Eagles

The Eagles finally made the A.J. Brown to New England trade official, making WR DeVonta Smith the clear top target for the first time in his career. Philadelphia LT Jordan Mailata thinks Smith has always been a number one regardless of the situation and expects him to be a captain this season.

“He’s always been a No. 1 receiver,” Mailata said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Nothing has changed for Smitty.”

“Smitty’s always led from the front. So that narrative, we can shut that down now because Smitty’s always led from the front. And just because he never wore that captain’s patch the last two years didn’t mean that he wasn’t a captain in the locker room. But he always led from the front.”

“And that’s why I’m calling it now. When he wears that captain’s patch this year, there’s no surprise. He’s always been a captain in my eyes, just from the way he’s led, the way he’s always gone about his business on and off the field.”

Giants

Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. called it a surreal feeling to be back with the team that originally took a chance on him by drafting him in the first round out of LSU.

“Just the way that I had to walk away, it was just unsettling in my soul, in my spirit,’’ Beckham said, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “It’s not who I am. I’ve never surrendered or quit or felt like I’ve given up on myself or anything. It just wasn’t sitting with me well.’’

“This family brought me in; they gave me my first opportunity,” Beckham continued. “Something I’ll forever be grateful for. So many amazing memories. My life was here. I never thought I’d be anywhere else. To even have the opportunity to put a jersey and a helmet back on – I actually left one of my helmets here, it had dust on it. — it was good to see. But yeah, I want to do it for that family, for this building, for Giants Nation. This is my squad. It’s just going to come with everyday work, being the best me I can be.”

“I look at it like this: God has given me one more opportunity to play,” Beckham concluded. “Whatever I do with that is that. I’m not saying this is my only year and I’m not saying that I’ve got five more for you. I’m just looking at it like this is my opportunity now. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

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