NFC Notes: Saquon Barkley, Dak Prescott, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

Commanders HC Ron Rivera can already sense that things are trending upward following the team’s purchase by a new ownership group. 

“You can already feel the impact,” Rivera said, via Pro Football Talk. “A lot has to do with the reaction from the fan base, more so than anything else. Our guys have also felt it. They’ve felt it because of the fan base. It’s neat, you look outside and see the setup for fans, and the guys are really getting into this. It’s a unique feeling. It’s exciting. I’m fired up about the opportunity as we go forward.”

Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones mentioned that he wants to see Dak Prescott cut down on the turnovers this season after he threw an NFL-high 15 interceptions last year. 

“What I expect is not the unexpected. What last year represented relative to turnovers was unexpected,” Jones said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “I expect to see what we expect from Dak, which is don’t turn the ball over, be protective of the ball. When I think of Dak, that’s the first thing that comes to my mind. That’s what he does good.”

Giants

• Ryan Dunleavy reports that Giants RB Saquon Barkley never requested a trade and the Giants were never interested in trading him, yet Barkley’s reps asked the Giants to shop him around the NFL to come to a fair price for him. 
• Dunleavy continues that not only did the Giants refuse to shop Barkley, they turned down two offers for him including one from the Dolphins.
• Giants GM Joe Schoen is excited to get Barkley back in the fold and hopes to see him on the field on Wednesday: “Obviously we are glad we were able to work things out with Saquon. We all recognize the player and person Saquon is and what he means to our team. He is a good teammate, a leader and a really good player. We are looking forward to getting on the field tomorrow.” (Dan Salomone)
• Schoen on the struggles to get the long-term contract done: “We came to a landing spot, they came to a landing spot and we weren’t able to bridge the gap. And that’s ok. We’re a better team with Saquon here. We tried. They tried. I’m at peace with that.” (Ralph Vacchiano)