Cowboys news: NFC undergoes change with trades and signings
The Eagles finally did what everyone thought they were going to do.
The Eagles agreed Monday to trade star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a first-round draft pick in 2028 and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The fifth-round selection will be the better of New England’s two picks in that round of next year’s draft, sources told ESPN.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, Brown thanked the Eagles and their fans.
“Playing for this city has been an honor, and I’m thankful for every moment I had in midnight green. Thank you, Philly. Much love always. God bless,” he wrote.
The Giants signed three receivers.
The Giants found what they were looking for three times over during a wide receiver tryout on Monday.
NFL Media reports that they are signing former Steelers and Chiefs wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster after the workout. The news comes after word that they are also signing Odell Beckham Jr. and Braxton Berrios.
The moves come as the Giants wait for Malik Nabers to return from last season’s torn ACL. Head coach John Harbaugh said last week that it is “impossible to predict” when Nabers will be fully cleared to return to action.
And, of course, the Rams got Myles Garrett.
The Dallas Cowboys game in Week 15 just became a tad bit more difficult. On Monday, there was a radical change in the NFL. For starters there was some change with the New York Giants as they brought back Odell Beckham Jr. and signed both Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Those were hardly moves that had Cowboys fans shaking in their boots, though.
In the middle of all of that was an earthquake of sorts, though. The Los Angeles Rams went all-in yet again and made a deal with the Cleveland Browns for Myles Garrett. Cleveland receives Jared Verse as well as first-, second-, and third-round picks in 2027, 2028, and 2029, respectively.
The Cowboys organization gets some recognition.
The Dallas Cowboys PR staff has won the Pro Football Writers Association’s Pete Rozelle award.
The Rozelle award, named after the former NFL commissioner, is given each year to an NFL team’s public relations staff that “consistently strives for excellence in its dealing and relationships with the media.”
In the 2025 season, the Cowboys’ football communications staff consisted of senior vice president of communications Tad Carper, director of football communications Scott Agulnek, public relations manager David Abbruzese, public relations coordinator Bronte Hermesmeyer, public and community relations program manager Whitney Faulker and football communications seasonal intern Kalie Smith.
The Cowboys’ PR staff have been finalists for the Rozelle award in three out of the last five seasons, and their win in 2026 is the first for the Cowboys in franchise history.
“The Cowboys PR staff does a wonderful job managing all the different facets of the beat from local writers, national writers and the television folks. This past year was particularly difficult when defensive end Marshawn Kneeland passed away. The PR staff understood the jobs of the media while also respecting the privacy of the family and the players,” said Dallas PFWA chapter vice president and former PFWA president Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
“No PR department is perfect, but I’ve always enjoyed working with the Cowboys’ staff because they take the job seriously and do it in a professional and graceful manner to help everyone get the job done.”
OTAs are happening this week.
How is the battle shaping up for QB2?
The Cowboys made it clear that Joe Milton needs to take a step forward this offseason when they signed former Eagles and Commanders quarterback Sam Howell to a one-year deal. Almost immediately after the signing, Schottenheimer said that the two will compete to back up Dak Prescott this season. Howell has the upper hand when it comes to experience after having started the entirety of the 2023 season for Washington, but Milton has the flashy playmaking ability that could keep his job intact.
Spoiler alert: No one wins a job in OTAs, but you can get a glimpse of what the coaching staff thinks about a specific position battle with how many reps each player gets during the team portions of the practices. If you see Howell and Milton splitting second-team reps, it will be a clear indication of how things look going into training camp next month.
How will the first-team defense look?
In case you’ve been under a rock this offseason, a lot has changed on the defensive side of the ball. A lot.
Not only has a new defensive coordinator come into the picture in the form of Christian Parker, there are expected to be as many as six new starters on that side of the ball after a free agency and draft haul full of additions for Parker’s unit. From defensive backs Jalen Thompson and Caleb Downs to outside linebacker Rashan Gary and linebacker Dee Winters, it will be interesting to see how Parker lines up all of his new toys.
Winters will be one of the more intriguing ones to watch, as he hasn’t taken a lot of snaps at the MIKE spot in his career, but it might have to be where he’s placed on this defense. Downs is expected to be featured at the nickel spot, but will there be a spot for him in the base 3-4 defense? How will that affect Thompson and Malik Hooker’s placements on the field as well? Does Cobie Durant get starting reps over Shavon Revel Jr. on the outside?
All of those will need a close eye during OTAs.
Daily discussion question: Are the Rams the NFC front-runners after the Myles Garrett trade?
