Cowboys
Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert wants to prove himself in 2024 and become a valued commodity alongside CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
“That’s my goal, to go out and prove to myself; I am who I say I am,” Tolbert said Thursday, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “Obviously, you hear that all the time. But just go out there and chase greatness. I have two guys who ride along with me in CeeDee (Lamb) and (Brandin) Cooks, and I’m looking forward to following in their footsteps and doing what I can to create value on this team.”
Tolbert said he has the trust of Dak Prescott and will always complete his assignment on the field.
“He knows I’ll be where I need to be at when I need to be there and do what I need to do when I get there,” Tolbert said.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy thinks Tolbert’s confidence has improved “leaps and bounds.”
“He’s taken leaps and bounds in that area. I think anything that’s consistent in this game, the more confident that the individual is, his physicality, his urgency, the understanding of detail, the competitiveness, vastly increases,” McCarthy said. “He’s always been a very bright young man.”
Eagles
When Eagles RB Saquon Barkley was in free agency this offseason, many questioned how much longer he could play at a high level at 27 years old. Barkley shut down any idea that his play is declining and believes he can maintain this status for the foreseeable future.
“That’s [BS],” Barkley said, via EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer in a lengthy feature. “Marcus Allen played until he was 36, 37 years old. Some of the greats that I admire and I look up and study, they played well into their 30s. Barry (Sanders) left at 29, 30 and he left in his prime. It’s what you put in, what you put in is what you get out. That’s any position. There’s this weird thing with running backs right now. Is it a difficult position to play? Yes. Do you take wear and tear? Yes. But who are you or anyone else to tell me how long I can play the game? I call [BS].”
“When it’s over for me, it’s over for me. But I feel like if I continue to put the right stuff in my body and do the right things, there will be a day when I’m 32 or 33, and I want to hang it up, and I’m going to do it just because.”
Giants
Giants LB Bobby Okereke said OLB Brian Burns is a game-changing edge rusher who can take over games.
“He could be a game-changer. He’s an electric athlete, fast, physical, silky when he pass rushes. He can take over games,” Okereke said, via Giants Wire.
Okereke described the differences between former DC Wink Martindale and current DC Shane Bowen.
“Wink was my guy, I loved him. But Shane is an incredible defensive coordinator. He’s very smart, he has a very bright football mind, and I’m glad he’s my defensive coordinator,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a lot more rules, a lot more process of decision-making that’s going to allow us to play fast.”
Okereke thinks the Giants can finish as one of the top defenses in football.
“Imposing. Imposing of our will. Imposing of our physical dominance. Yeah, we’re just going to take over,” Okereke said, adding that they could “easily” finish as a top-5 defense. “The 2024 New York Giants are going to be a tough, gritty, dominant team. We have no false pretenses. No one’s coming in here thinking we’re hot (expletive), we’re going to earn everything we get, and we’re going to work hard every day.”
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