Commanders
All offseason, it was presumed the Commanders would take a quarterback with pick No. 2 in the draft in hopes of finding their signal caller of the future. Washington took QB Jayden Daniels, and he’s ready to join the franchise and be a part of the turnaround.
“I’m very confident,” Daniels said, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “Obviously, it’s a new regime there and, you know, I’m excited just to come in and really just change the culture and help the team win in each and every way that I can. Come in, work hard and we’ll see where the course takes itself.”
“I know Jahan [Dotson] previously just, you know, we’re kind of around the same age. Obviously, what Terry [McLaurin] has done at the next level. You got a great running back in Brian Robinson. You know, Austin Ekeler, those guys are very explosive players. New additions with Zach Ertz. I’m just happy to come in and learn how to be a pro.”
- Commanders UDFA QB Sam Hartman signed a deal worth $245,000 in guarantees, including a $20,000 signing bonus and $220,000 salary guarantee. (Tom Pelissero)
Cowboys
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was excited to land OT Tyler Guyton after trading down to No. 29 and feels he has “a lot of upside.”
“It’s hard to do with offensive lineman,” Jones said, via the team’s official site. “But you would hope to have a little sexiness to this pick, using your first-round pick. And I actually thought we had that with Tyler Smith two years ago. I think we got it here; this is a sexy pick for the offensive line. It’s got a lot of upside.”
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy is confident Guyton will do well converting to left tackle after playing the opposite side at Oklahoma.
“I think we all understand, they have a left-handed quarterback at Oklahoma, so he is the backside tackle,” said McCarthy. “It will definitely be an easy transition for him as far as the responsibility of playing the backside of the quarterback. It’s footwork, and there’s going to be things that are new anyway. But God, what a great pick for us.”
Cowboys’ executive Stephen Jones thinks it’s a “big, big deal” to land a left tackle at No. 29.
“To get a left tackle is a big, big deal,” Jones said. “We had these same discussions with Larry Allen when he was here because he would have been a great left tackle: All-Pro, Hall of Famer at left tackle or left guard. Certainly, Tyler [Smith] played, really, at a high, high, elite-type level at guard. This certainly allows him to kind of entrench there.”
- Guyton on replacing longtime OT Tyron Smith: “I feel like those are big shoes to fill from such a legendary tackle, but I’m going to work my ass off to do the best that I can.” (Todd Archer)
Eagles
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni raved about fourth-round RB Will Shipley‘s athleticism, versatility, and leadership.
“Just his ability to make guys miss in space, accelerate off of that, and then also be a threat out of the backfield. …I think he’s very versatile in the things that he can do. Not only you can hand him the football. You can throw him the football. He can line up all over the field,” he said via Zach Berman.
“…It will be fun working with a player like him. Obviously, I talked a lot about the things on the field because that’s what got him in the door, but what’s made him a special player is the person that he is, the leader that he is, the worker that he is, and we’re really excited to add that type of person to our locker room. He’s an All-American person, and we’re really looking forward to that, and obviously the talent sticks out as well.”
- Eagles GM Howie Roseman said they don’t plan to convert sixth-round WR Johnny Wilson to tight end: “I think a lot of times you do that when guys don’t have the lower body flexibility to get in and out of their breaks. We don’t see that with Johnny.” (Berman)
- Sirianni added the 6-6, 235-pound Wilson has an “unusual” skillset for a receiver: “All his production is coming on the outside, running outside routes. Really looking forward to working with him there at the wide receiver position.”
- Sirianni mentioned fifth-round WR Ainias Smith quickly emerged as a favorite of his after watching the tape and he had to pop over to Roseman’s office to tell him: “His ability to run after the catch. His ability to get in and out of breaks. I think he is extremely tough. I love that about him. That’s really what sticks out. Catches the ball really well. Those are the things that really stick out. It’s going to be fun to see how we can get him the football and different ways that he can contribute both on special teams and on offense.” (Berman)
- Eagles UDFA RB Kendall Milton signed for $250,000 guaranteed, $25,000 of which was a signing bonus and $225,000 of which was a guaranteed salary. (Aaron Wilson)
- Eagles UDFA TE McCallan Castles signed for $230,000 guaranteed, including a $30,000 signing bonus and $200,000 in salary guarantees. (Wilson)
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