Commanders

The Commanders and OC Kliff Kingsbury agreed to mutually part ways, while they also fired DC Joe Whitt Jr. When asked about the situation with Kingsbury, HC Dan Quinn said they are looking to find ways to improve at every role. 

“We’re going through all of all the coaches,” Quinn said, via CommandersWire. “Kliff offensively, defensively, on the [special] teams side. And so, that’s really what we’re digging into to find what’s best, how do we do it, you know, where do we find spaces to improve? And you know, for Kliff, for [defensive coordinator] Joe [Whitt Jr.], for [special teams coordinator] Larry [Izzo], for all of us. Like that’s our main focus, so we’re never in this space again, and that’s what we want to dig in hard on.”

Commanders GM Adam Peters was asked about the decision with Kingsbury and Whitt, responding that supporting Quinn is a big part of how he operates. 

“I’m really just here to support DQ,” Peters said. “The coaching staff is DQ’s and I’m always here to help, like during the season, in the offseason, however I can to help support him and help him make the decisions that he needs to make and certainly, really wherever he needs. So, I’m not involved in whatever decision it is. It’s always DQ’s call and I have his back on whatever he wants to do.”

• Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, former Falcons HC Raheem Morris and DC Jeff Ulbrich are candidates to watch to reunite with Commanders HC Dan Quinn as his defensive coordinator.
• Fowler mentions the people he’s talked to think the Commanders want to move to a more under-center system with their next offensive coordinator hire.  

Cowboys

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects the Cowboys to pursue a big-name defensive coordinator hire and adds they’ll likely want a candidate with experience. Vikings DC Brian Flores is on Dallas’ radar, per Fowler, and he also mentions former Falcons HC Raheem Morris and former Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon.
• Cowboys owner Jerry Jones feels that QB Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career, adding that had the team paid DE Micah Parsons, they would be unable to afford WR George Pickens. (Werder)
• Jones when told Patriots owner Robert Kraft has three more Super Bowls: “My goal in life is to retire as the owner to win the most Super Bowls…I got work to do.” (Machota)
• Jones continued: “We want to get out here and do better than we did this year. (There’s) the incentive to, dare I say it, bust the budget to try to get something done now? Yes. Yes. We’ll do some dramatic things. That was a dramatic thing we did (trading Micah Parsons). We didn’t do it not to win games. The point is, this calls for some pretty controversial decisions. We’re gonna keep this thing as good as we can possibly be. Finances are no object. We’re gonna make it as entertaining as we can and keep it as lively as we can for everybody.” (Machota)
• Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones mentioned that one item of importance for the team would be the potential re-signing of veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. (Machota)
• Machota says it sounds like Dallas will retain ST coordinator Nick Sorensen.

Eagles

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says there’s some speculation around the league about Eagles OC Kevin Patullo‘s status after a tough year, although it helps that he’s got some clout on the staff as a longtime assistant. 
• Eagles HC Nick Sirianni on Patullo: “I thought he is done a nice job of handling everything that’s come his way, staying mentally sharp and staying mentally tough because I know there’s always going to be criticism and you’re probably not — as offense coordinator, you might not get as much praise, but you’re always going to get some criticism. But I think he’s done a nice job handling that and I think that we’ve done some really good things and we’re getting better as the season goes through. We got to be even more consistent and obviously there’s always times coming out of every game. There’s going to be calls you want back, players are going to have plays that [they] want back. I’m going to have decisions that we talk through or throughout the week or during the game that I’m going back and that’s the nature of this thing.” (Berman)
• Fowler mentions DB coach Christian Parker and DL coach Clint Hurtt as possibilities who could be poached away by other teams. 

The post NFC Notes: Jerry Jones, Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.