Some positive Cowboys news emerged this week. Third-year linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has fully recovered from the offseason neck surgery he underwent. The former first-round pick told NFL.com’s Jane Slater he has been training full-go for multiple months (video link). Vander Esch was projected to be ready for OTAs, so it does not come as a major surprise he has moved past the injury that sidelined him for much of last season. However, Vander Esch’s cervical spinal stenosis condition — diagnosed while he was at Boise State — would make future neck surgeries problematic. So his transition back to the field will be a key part of Cowboys training camp.
Here is the latest from the NFC East, shifting to some of the division’s offensive lines:
- Doug Pederson confirmed the Eagles have engaged in talks with 11-year left tackle starter Jason Peters, whom they let hit the market in March. However, the fifth-year Eagles coach expects 2019 first-rounder Andre Dillard to start at left tackle in 2020. “With Jason Peters, listen, we’ve always said we’d stay in touch with him during the offseason and we have,” Pederson said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank. “I have a lot of respect for a guy like Jason Peters who played that left tackle position for so many years at a high level. But as we move forward, Andre Dillard was a guy we drafted to be that left tackle for us. The way Andre played last year kind of propels him into this offseason where he’s taken command of that role.”
- Shifting to the Giants‘ left tackle situation, Nate Solder‘s contract makes it likely he will keep that job for a third season. But this will almost certainly be Solder’s last as a Giant, Dan Duggan of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Thanks to a September 2019 restructure, Solder carries a monster $19.5MM cap hit this season. The Giants can save $14MM by shedding his contract in 2021, which is the final season of the ex-Patriot’s four-year agreement. Big Blue drafted Andrew Thomas No. 4 overall, and it would be logical for the Georgia product to move from right to left tackle next year. New York used a third-round pick on UConn tackle Matt Peart, potentially planning a Thomas-Peart starting lineup in 2021.
- The Redskins brought back veteran cornerback Aaron Colvin, whom they initially signed during the 2019 season.
Sure, it will not make the Giants a championship contending club, but getting rid of Solder after the end of the 2020 season would be an end of an error.
You would like to keep Solder?
No, he’s simply saying it isnt a move that’s really going to help them improve a ton..
However, they’ll finally be able to move on past the mistake of signing Solder..
Definitely an error never should of signed him to massive contract
I’m still perplexed as to why they did that. Back in 2018, they were coming off an embarrassing season led by Ben McAderp and clearly tanking. Why would they sign Solder to a massive contract when he had no proven success outside New England? Did they really think they’d be competing throughout the duration of his contract?
Shurmer had replaced McAderp when Solder was brought on board and at the time the Giants were between a rock and a hard place. Keeping Ereck Flowers would have been an even bigger disaster than reaching for Solder.
Of course Flowers was an abomination, but they didn’t need to overpay for the top free agent available. They could’ve signed a cheaper stopgap and developed a rookie without obliterating their cap space
A cheaper stopgap might have got Eli Manning killed and all they had behind him at the time was Davis Webb. I think it was one of those damned if we do, damned if we don’t situations.
This..^^
They thought by improving their LT, and adding a few weapons and pieces, they’d be able to give Manning the time he needed to distribute the ball..
Besides, it isnt like the Giants were the only team that wanted Solder..
Eagles focusing on a LT when they have Dillard. Their LBs are a complete joke.
It can’t hurt to add some veteran reinforcements in case Dillard struggles again. Peters can still block even if he’s injury-prone at this stage of his career. It is concerning a former first-rounder can’t seem to secure a starting role however
It’s not a knock on Dillard. Peters can still play, he graded like 82 I think on PFF. But they have a 1st round pick, in his 2nd year. They just have gone to the extreme with not caring about the LB position, most of their core would be special teamers on other squads. TJ Edwards, Nathan Gerry, Jatavis Brown, Alex Singleton, Davion Taylor (R), and Shaun Bradley (R).
They shouldn’t have cut Bradham, maybe ask him to take less. He’s still available, so that could have been a possibility. There’s a few guys out there, they just have no veteran presence on at this position. Brown has the most experience and has shifted to ST role his last season w/LAC.
I agree that they still need to upgrade the pitiful linebacking corps. I just don’t think a one-year deal with Peters would prevent them from doing so
Peters has been open to bumping down and playing LG.
There are two tackles on a starting oline
Thanks, and Lane Johnson is a beast and not going anywhere either.
It doesn’t matter what the rest of the NFC East does, the Eagles will win the division, even though the Cowboys are favored. Reagor will get more touches than Lamb in their rookie seasons, because Reagor will be a WR1 or WR2, while Lamb has to wait until the big three get their touches first.