Eagles‘ wideout Arrelious Benn was far from guaranteed a roster spot, but he is working as hard as possible to make the team, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Benn showed that he can contribute on special teams by blocking a punt in their preseason game against the Patriots. He also caught a touchdown in the game, on a ball that was intended for another receiver but came loose in the air as Ifeanyi Momah fell to the ground in the end zone.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been a popular choice to the question of first coach to be fired in 2014, but Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com doesn’t see owner Jerry Jones pulling the trigger during the season. Despite being listed with 2/1 odds according to Bovada, Archer believes the team is more likely to ride out the season with Garrett without a potential successor.
- Redskins‘ running backs have struggled in pass protection drills, with Roy Helu, Lache Seastruck, and starter Alfred Morris each having their own problems, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. The drill is supposed to favor the defense, however, and Helu still has the edge on the role of third-down back. “It’s a somewhat superficial drill,” Helu said. “But it’s a harder drill than game situations. The first thing we have to do is be physical because it’s one-on-one and second we are going to win with technique.”
- The Giants had a lot of problems with their quarterback play in 2013, but there is currently a competition going on for the backup spot on the team, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Curtis Painter will take the backup reps this week, after Ryan Nassib was given them previously.