NFL Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Giants, Lions

Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after Saturday’s preseason game that they won’t be waiving QB Cooper Rush, who worked as the team’s No. 2 quarterback last night.

“I’m very impressed,” Jones said, via DallasCowboys.com. “We won’t be waiving him. I’ll tell you that right now.”

Following the injury to LB Anthony Hitchens, Stephen Jones explained that this still won’t change anything in terms of the plan for Jaylon Smith.

“We’ll stick with our plan with him,” Jones said of Smith, via Pro Football Talk. “You don’t jeopardize a guy’s future over anything like that, but as you know, Jaylon’s coming along. The plan was all along was for him to be ready to play for the Giants. Now are we going to throw him in there for 60-something plays? I don’t think so, but a lot of that is just going to depend on what he’s ready for. My guess is probably not.”

Dolphins

While there has been some question about veteran LB Rey Maualuga’s conditioning in recent days, he says he’ll be ready to play whenever the coaching staff is ready for him.

“Whenever coach is ready for me to get on the field, I’ll be ready,” Maualuga said, via James Walker of ESPN. “In the meantime, I’m just on the side working out with the strength guys and doing drills.

“My strengths are coming downhill and taking on blocks and stopping the run and leading by example,” Maualuga said. “If I come in and do all of that and show what I can do on the field in that aspect, I think everyone will follow and I think we can be that much better on defense.”

Giants

• James Kratch reports that Giants rookie DE Evan Schwan broke his foot late in Saturday’s preseason game.

Lions

• According to Ian Rapoport, Lions QB Jake Rudock is generating interest from GMs around the NFL following his recent performance against the Patriots.
• Rapoport mentions that NFL teams actually tried to poach Rudock away from Detroit last year.