NFC Notes: Commanders, CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

• Commanders fifth-round TE Cole Turner was his team’s leading receiver in college at Nevada, so the receiving part of his game he feels confident in. Blocking will determine his early playing time, however, he tells the Athletic’s Ben Standig: “It’s something that I wasn’t asked to do a lot of in my scheme in college, so just getting more comfortable with that over the next couple of months (is the plan) before we strap it up for the first game.”
• The Commanders are trying WR Antonio Gandy-Golden at tight end this spring, per Standig. 
• Regarding the recovery of DE Chase Young from a torn ACL, Standig talked to a doctor who was surprised Young needed a graft from his left patellar tendon to repair his ACL. He added there could be some difficulties for Young in his first year back: “I think for a pass rusher, how explosive you are off the line is one of the most important things. I think that explosiveness is the thing that probably will come back last.”
• Commanders C Chase Roullier is also coming off a severe injury, as he broke his fibula and fractured his ankle in late October: “There was some pretty serious things happening with my ankle.”
• He told Standig, however, that rehab has “gone very well” and he’s targeting a return in training camp.  
• Standig believes third-round RB Brian Robinson is a strong candidate to take on goal-line duties even though he’s a rookie. 

Cowboys

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb noticed that Dallas traded WR Amari Cooper to the Browns while working out in Florida. 

“I was actually in the gym. I saw it. It was on TV. I was working out in Fort Lauderdale in my offseason program, and I saw it on TV, and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,’” Lamb said, via the Open Mike podcast. “And then my phone started blowing up literally minutes after. It’s been a crazy story ever since.”

Lamb said that he’s ready to assume the Cowboys’ No. 1 receiving role. 

“That’s a lot to take in. It kind of happened so fast, but I feel like that’s a situation I’m ready to take on,” Lamb said. “Honestly, it kind of, in a sense, raised the standard. Obviously, I hold myself to a high standard already, but obviously, at this moment, there’s nothing else you can really do but take it on. That’s the energy I have.”

Lamb is grateful for Cooper’s leadership over the first two years of his career. 

“Just wanted to thank him for everything he had done for me in the first two years,” Lamb said. “Those are real important to me and my direction and trying to find a place in this league where there’s a lot of great receivers. A lot of guys who do a lot of things well in this position. Just giving him his roses for taking me under his wing.”

Giants

Giants WR Kadarius Toney mentioned the offense’s versatility and flexibility as key reasons why he thinks there will be an improvement on that end.

“[The offense is] kind of like Florida in the way you have leeway in route-running and stuff like that,” Toney said via the team’s official website. “You’re able to just win. You don’t have to run the pen-and-paper version of your route every time. A lot of offensive coaches have the pen-and-paper mentality like you have to run it exactly like that every time. But Dabes [Daboll] gives us a lot of freedom, a lot of leeway to win. That’s the object of playing football – to win. He just gives that option.”