NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Elliott

At the age of 36, Eagles punter Donnie Jones might look more like a coach than a player. But, don’t tell him he’s too old for the job, CSNPhilly.com’s Dave Zingaro writes.

“I sure don’t feel 36,” Jones said. “I know a lot of people see that [age] in the NFL and think, ‘He may only have one or two years left.’ Well, I say that’s a bunch of BS. Play as long as you want if you take care of yourself, keep being productive. And I’m going to continue to do it as long as I can.”

If Jones wants to play for several more seasons, there is precedent as there have been multiple punters over the years who played into their 40s. The question is, will the Eagles want to continue with him or move on to a different punter after this season? Jones is entering the final year of the four-year contract he signed with the Eagles before the 2013 season. He has a base salary of $1.75MM in 2016 before his scheduled entry into the free agent market.

Here’s today’s look at the NFC East:

• The Cowboys were criticized for carrying too many running backs on the roster, but injuries have proven that to be a smart move by Dallas, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. Veteran Alfred Morris, sixth round pick Darius Jackson, and converted fullback Rod Smith find themselves getting tons of snaps in practice as Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar are on the PUP list and rookie Ezekiel Elliott deals with a sore hamstring. With McFadden and Dunbar being viewed as regular season PUP list candidates, Elliott and Morris are the only locks to be on the opening day roster. Jackson and Smith, meanwhile, could earn spots and fill in until they are ready. For a full view of the Cowboys’ depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
• Did the Giants draft studs in the first, second, and third round of this year’s draft? Veteran scouting consultant Dave-Te Thomas gave us his thoughts on Big Blue’s draft class this week.
• Recently, NFL officials were asked to rank the league’s starting quarterbacks by one football writer. The consensus ranking of Redskins QB Kirk Cousins may surprise you.
• The Eagles are looking to trade for an inside linebacker. What players do you think they should target? Let us know in the comments.