NFC Notes: Bucs, Cousins, Paea

Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC after rounding up a few AFC rumors earlier today:

• An article from Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com could have been construed to indicate that Buccanneers RB Charles Sims is a long-shot to make the team’s 53-man roster, but Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times says he would be surprised if Sims is cut, especially before Doug Martin returns from suspension in Week 4 (Twitter link). Auman adds (via Twitter) that Smith’s article probably meant to suggest that Blake Sims, not Charles, is a long-shot to make the roster. Indeed, Smith’s piece discusses how well-stocked Tampa Bay is at running back, and he suggests Charles Sims is one of the reasons the Bucs can field a solid RB group even without Martin. Smith later confirmed Auman’s interpretation via Twitter.
• In addition to running back, the Buccaneers also have intriguing position battles at slot corner, safety, and kicker, as Roy Cummings of FanRagSports.com writes.
• Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines the long-term outlook for the Redskins, and it’s a fairly promising one, at least on offense. He looks at a possible snapshot of the offense going into training camp in the year 2020, and of the 11 players he mentions — most of whom are good, very good, or at least have a lot of upside — 10 of them are already starters. While it would be foolish to expect all of those players to be in Washington in 2020, the fact remains that the team does have a talented offensive core that has the potential to stay around for a long time.
• Tandler tweets that there is a slim chance the Redskins and QB Kirk Cousins can work out a multi-year deal by the July 17 deadline, but he confirms what we have known all along, which is that Cousins’ long-term future with the club probably won’t be settled until March 2018.
• The Cowboys signed Stephen Paea to a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason, and though the big DT struggled the past two years in Washington and Cleveland, Dallas believes he can return to form in 2017. As Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes, Paea will be reuniting with Rod Marinelli, whom he worked under during his best years in Chicago, and his skill-set is well-suited to the Cowboys’ 4-3 defense.
• Paul Perkins will be the Giants‘ starting running back this year, but as James Kratch of NJ.com writes, Perkins will be more of the lead back in a committee rather than a bell-cow. Kratch says Shane Vereen will get his share of carries, and Orleans Darkwa, Wayne Gallman, and Shaun Draughn all figure to be in the mix as well.