NFC Notes: Dalvin Cook, Commanders, Cowboys

Commanders

Heading into their final preseason game against New England, the Commanders are set to get a final look at players before trimming down to a 53-man roster. Washington HC Dan Quinn named TE and S as the two positions that have caught his eye and made them reconsider how they will construct the team.

“I thought two of the groups that have really stood out to me, just been consistent and deep are at safety and at tight end, and just the practice habits, the willingness to go for their battles on special teams,” Quinn said, via Bryan Manning of the Commanders Wire. “So those have been two that have stood out to me of consistently high-level effort, guys supporting one another. And so that’s what you want as a coach where there’s really challenging spots and guys really pushing it. And I’d say those are two of the positions that that jump out to me.”

Dalvin Cook

Dallas signed RB Dalvin Cook to their practice squad to provide more veteran depth behind RBs Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott. Cook discussed adjusting to a different role than he’s used to and knows he can still contribute.

“My years in Minnesota it was Dalvin, Dalvin, Dalvin, give him the ball. Now, just a little adjustment,” Cook said, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “Help everybody and be productive. That’s just my mindset. I’m going to be ready to go, being around Zeke, I can obviously learn a lot from him. He’s older than me. Just soaking up the game, still. Learning from the young guys, too. Just being a part of this group, I feel like we’re going to push each other.”

“My résumé speaks for itself to be honest. But I just had a son [Dalvin Jr.]. He turned 1 a week ago. I have everything to prove to him, to be honest. I owe the world to him. Every day I put on my pads, every day I wake up, that’s my why.”

Cowboys

• Cowboys RB Dalvin Cook named DC Mike Zimmer as a big reason he signed with Dallas. (Jon Machota)
• Dallas QB Dak Prescott doesn’t have a new contract before the year and he believes it shows how people in the organization feel about him. (Machota)
• Prescott spoke about owner Jerry Jones‘ comments: “I stopped, honestly, listening to things (Jerry Jones) says to the media a long time ago. It doesn’t really hold weight with me.” (Calvin Watkins)
• Dallas signed DT Linval Joseph to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with $2 million fully guaranteed. The deal includes a $955,882 signing bonus and a base salary of $1.2 million. (Over The Cap)
• Joseph can also earn up to $500k in per-game active roster bonuses. (Over The Cap)