Commanders
The Commanders’ defensive line is focused on stopping the run after failing to do so against Eagles RB Saquon Barkley in big moments during the playoffs.
“[If] you can’t stop the run, you can’t win games,” DE Dorance Armstrong said, via John Keim of ESPN. “That’s why our big focus this year is to be able to stop the run a lot better than we did last year. I’m not going to say we didn’t trust each other [last year], but we’ve got a little more time to get on the same page than we did last year. That was the main thing, the more time to learn the system we’re playing, the better we can be.”
“We didn’t play the run well enough, and I thought we would have,” DC Joe Whitt Jr. added. “Some of the things we’re doing with the front for the run game we have changed and some we have adjusted.”
Commanders HC Dan Quinn is currently evaluating the size, strength, and versatility of players such as DE Deatrich Wise, whose job will be to set the edge for the defense.
“I love the versatility of the different guys and how we’re going to feature them this year in terms of sizes and strength and how we’ll use some of the big guys and how we’ll play them,” Quinn said. “That’s the part I’m looking forward to.”
“I’m a very powerful, strong individual,” Wise noted. “What makes me a good edge setter is I’m able to use my hands, my strength, how long my arms are to keep guys off me. … The best thing to do is push the ball carrier back to those guys. My main job is to set the edge. If I can push it back to those guys, who are fast and physical and strong, we’ll have a lot of plays being stopped.”
Cowboys
Cowboys WR KaVontae Turpin is entering his fourth year on the team. He’s confident HC Brian Schottenheimer‘s system will accentuate his strong points by getting him in one-on-one situations and in space.
“He wants to do shifts and motions, to get the ball in playmakers’ hands in space, and to get one-one-ones,” Turpin said, via Patrik Walker of team’s site. “I feel like that’s good for me. One-on-one with a linebacker or a safety, I’m gonna take advantage of them.”
Turpin has made his biggest impact as Dallas’ return specialist. He’s focused on building trust as an offensive player in 2025.
“I’ll say to just be available,” Turpin said. “I gotta be trustworthy so they know when they call my number, I’ll go out there and make a play. Kickoff returns and punt returns, I’ll be me and try to make a Pro Bowl again. But, on offense, I’ll let them believe in me and trust in me to go out there and be the playmaker I can be.”
Turpin is hoping opposing teams actually give him a chance to return kickoffs.
“With the rule change, they’ve gotta kick it in the landing spot now, so there won’t be too many touchbacks. But, hopefully, they won’t touchback me. I’m trying to get as many touches as I can, but I feel a lot of guys are gonna be scared with the new rule change. I’m just gonna roll with the punches.”
Giants
After their first offseason program together, Giants DL coach Andre Patterson is most impressed with first-round DE Abdul Carter‘s feel for how to win his rush regardless of the scenario.
“He’s explosive. He’s quick. He’s sudden,” Patterson said, via John Fennelly of the Giants Wire. “But the thing that is unique is that he has an uncanny ability to feel how to win at the top of the rush, right?”
Patterson spoke on Carter’s advanced technique that typically takes players a few years to learn. He thinks Carter’s feel for the pass rush is the most critical part of his game that separates him from the rest.
“A lot of guys blow the rush when they get to the top of the rush. A lot of guys are quick. A lot of guys are explosive. A lot of guys can go edge to edge. But when they get to the top of the rush, they become mechanical. As a coach, it takes guys two, three, four years to figure that out, right?
“Well, he (Carter) was born with that. That’s the thing he was born with, that just naturally, when he gets to the top of the rush, he has a feel of where to go, and I think that’s the thing that makes him unique. Most guys don’t have it.”
The post NFC Notes: Abdul Carter, KaVontae Turpin, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.