Around the NFC East: A.J. Brown Is Gone, Giants Add Receivers, Minicamp Arrives

Information around the NFC East is always fast-moving this time of year, and the past week has not disappointed. Throughout the year, we’ll use this space to track what is happening around the best division in NFL history, the NFC East.

That said, let’s take a look at what has been going on around the division over the last couple of weeks.

The division has had some groundbreaking news over the last couple of weeks with the Philadelphia Eagles trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round draft pick and the better of New England's two fifth-round picks in the 2027 draft. The New York Giants signed a trio of receivers, and the Cowboys and Commanders finished up OTAs and are both set to start mandatory minicamp on June 16.

Dallas Cowboys News

Cowboys Still Expect George Pickens at Mandatory Minicamp

“They still expect him to be there for mandatory minicamp, but even like Dak was saying, when he is there, if he does show up, don’t expect him to just all the sudden be with the 1s and doing everything,"Jon Machota said while appearing on Cowboys Collective. "They don’t want him to do too much and all the sudden he suffers a setback or some type of injury and then all the sudden he is going to training camp with some type of issue.

Cowboys can rejoice as Jalen Hurts' drama continues to brew in Philadelphia

To add insult to injury, Hurts still hasn't gotten a contract extension, and he may not be much of a favorite in the locker room. He tried to downplay the situation (h/t Zach Berman) when asked about it, but the writing is already on the wall. Here's what Hurts said about being as focused as he can be.

"For me, I'm truly focused on being the best I can be right now. That's where my energy is. There's a lot of change, as is. I'm focused on this offense. I'm focused on building with Sean and being at my best."

DeMarvion Overshown: “That (middle linebacker) role fits me. I’ve been wanting to be the mike since my rookie year. I felt like there was going to come a time where I wore the (captain) C on my chest and I had the green dot. Now I got it, so I’m excited.”https://t.co/6a0YWyhzxp
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 11, 2026

Christian Parker sees 'urgent' Cowboys defense taking shape during offseason

"I think it's a very urgent group and a group that is hungry for knowledge and hungry for getting pushed, and they want to have collective success," Parker said. "We don't have any selfish guys. We have a bunch of guys who want to do it together. They want to learn."

Cowboys have every reason to believe Ryan Flournoy is ready for more

“(Dallas) led the NFL with a 101.80 EPA on 11 personnel snaps, averaging 6.6 yards per play. Quarterback Dak Prescott helped the offense produce a league-best 206.7 passing yards per game; running back Javonte Williams and the team also saw high-level rushing production at a league-best 80.8 yards per game.”

Emmitt Smith says the quiet part out loud on what Cowboys fans have thought for years

"If we don't (capitalize on the Parsons trade), then I believe the Dallas Cowboys and the family could be losing fans for a lifetime because those fans will feel like they have been taken advantage of and no one has really paid attention to them," Smith said. "And that's when you will see an effect of sales in tickets, suites, merchandising going down, and that's the biggest way impact a person's pocket, is through their wallet."

Former Cowboys DE Aldon Smith passes away

But after playing one season with the Raiders, Aldon Smith had a string of off-the-field issues that led to being suspended and out of the league for four seasons. He returned to the league in 2020, signing with the Cowboys. He finished second on the team with five sacks and scored his only touchdown of his career, returning a fumble 78 yards in a win over the Bengals. It marked just the second time in Smith's career in which he played in all 16 games on the schedule

New York Giants News

What Giants' Signing Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster Means for WR Room

Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios are coming in to shore up the Giants' receivers room that is currently facing adversity. A sudden injury bug swept through the room, sidelining Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton (sports hernia), and Gunner Olszewski (Achilles).

John Harbaugh’s Giants will look like a bully; can they play like one?

Asked recently why he has an affinity for players with size, Harbaugh referred to former Giants’ GM George Young’s twist on the “Planet Theory.” Young’s idea was that there are only so many massive, athletic human beings on the earth, and the more you could collect, the better chance you had of winning.

“You’ve got to have -- I think Bill Parcells said that these guys are just rare people on the planet, right? Along those lines,” Harbaugh said. “To me that always stuck with me when I saw that way back when.”

Is Thomas Fidone II Running Out of Time to Make His Case for a Giants Roster Spot?

In 79 pass blocking opportunities over three seasons, Fidone didn’t allow a single quarterback pressure. And his run blocking grades each season hovered in the mid-50s.

All of that was enough for the Giants to spend one of their seventh-round picks on Fidone, who, as a receiver, posted a career 69.3% reception rate (61-of-88) and averaged 10.4 yards per reception while scoring four touchdowns, all of those scores coming in 2023, his second season with the Cornhuskers.

NFL GM Predicts Cardinals Star Josh Sweat Will End Up Back With Eagles

Sweat initially began his career in Philadelphia after the Eagles made him a fourth-round pick in 2018. Sweat ultimately was a key piece to two different runs to the Super Bowl, the first coming under Gannon when he was the team's defensive coordinator.

3 Giants Players Fighting for Their Future Under John Harbaugh https://t.co/bwXXFfeKrn
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) June 14, 2026

‘Predator’ Tremaine Edmunds and ‘Baby Predator’ Arvell Reese an exciting duo

“Arvell has been amazing,” Burns said. “I always speak to when he said like he wants to be seen, not heard. And he’s embodying that every day. He don’t speak out too much, don’t talk back or nothing like that. He just does what he’s told, works hard, and it’s showing up on the film, and he’s earning the respect of the older guys for sure. I really appreciate him coming in like that.

Cam Skattebo is giving the Giants a reason to get excited again

"There's quite a bit of enthusiasm surrounding the Giants this year, in no small part because of the young offensive core of quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers and Skattebo," he wrote."Of that trio, Nabers is the least likely to be ready for the beginning of the regular season, which could result in the Giants leaning even more heavily on Skattebo and the ground game early on."

Philadelphia Eagles News

Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: S Cole Wisniewski

Just like Wisniewski played at an FCS school at North Dakota State, Chinn played at an FCS school at Southern Illinois. Wisniewski and Chinn have very similar sizes, though Chinn is a better athlete. Wisniewski is 6'3, 219; Chinn is listed at 6'3, 220.

I'll comp Wisniewski to another player Roseman likes (or at least liked at one time), the Raiders hybrid safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn. If the Eagles hadn't selected Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 draft, they would have taken Chinn.

To be clear, this is a lofty comp. Chinn has been a starter his entire pro career, and Wisniewski will have to fight to earn a roster spot, much less a role at all in the regular defense. But, I imagine that whatever the Eagles liked about Chinn in 2020 (big hustle player who tackles well and can cover tight ends), they probably also like about Wisniewski.

Which WRs are most likely to make Eagles' final roster?

A REVEALING DEVONTA SMITH STAT: More evidence that DeVonta Smith is ready to take over the WR1 responsibility is his career average of 9.1 yards per target. That’s tied for 5th-highest among active WRs, behind only A.J. Brown (9.8), Justin Jefferson (9.7), Tyreek Hill (9.5), and Jaylen Waddle (9.3) and tied with Deebo Samuel. Interesting to note that over the past three seasons, Smith is the 4th-highest in the NFL and ahead of Brown – 9.4 to 9.2.

Expectations Are High For Eagles' Newcomer At Key Position

“I think that's a great addition to that room,” said Nick Sirianni about Wicks during the team’s minicamp. “Tay Wicks, I think he has a very unique skillset of being able to get in and out of breaks and be really efficient at the line of scrimmage. For a guy that I've coached, he has some Keenan Allen to him and to his game.”

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni is going viral for having a better throwing motion than Jalen Hurts

pic.twitter.com/fNcI8MYh96
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) June 14, 2026

How Chris Kuper knew Sean Mannion was destined to be a coach

“Sean's one of those guys that surprised me,” said Chris Kuper, who is now serving as the offensive line coach under Sean Mannion in Philly. “Because there's not a ton of interaction with the backup quarterback, but he would ask me some protection questions to really get in front of them for Kirk (Cousins) because he knew that Kirk was going to ask him. So then you start to see like, ‘All right, this guy's a high level backup in terms of knowing what the role is.’

“There's other backups that maybe thinking they're going to compete for the job, which Sean was that guy back when he started out. He really fell into a role and then he maximized that role. And so I saw a little bit of evolution of like, ‘Holy smokes, that's what a backup quarterback is doing for a starter.’”

Washington Commanders News

NFL Free Agency Destinations: Best Landing Spots for Top Remaining Pass Rushers

The Commanders need a buff on the edge of their defensive line after opting not to re-sign Miller. Jadeveon Clowney could be a low-risk option for Washington in an area of need. He led the Cowboys in sacks last season with 8.5, while adding 10 QB hits and 12 tackles for loss, despite only playing in 13 games.

Clowney is 33 and has bounced around the league over the past half a decade, though he has generally been productive regardless of what team he’s playing for.

Commanders Minicamp Preview: Five Questions That Could Shape the Summer

The real value of minicamp is not in finding answers. It's in learning which questions are serious enough to survive until training camp.After several weeks of OTA sessions, June 16-18 gives the team one final window to focus on the details before camp opens. That involves a roster reshaped by Adam Peters' foundational vision and a coaching staff still trying to build the right identity around Jayden Daniels.

#Commanders Film Room: Why Antonio Williams Is the Ultimate Slot Weapon #RaiseHail https://t.co/jzi04SToPK
— The BnG® (@PhilipHughesNFL) June 12, 2026

Commanders now know asking price for Kayshon Boutte Patriots trade

"(Boutte) has also made it clear to the team he wouldn’t mind being traded," Mike Giardi wrote Tuesday. "The Pats tried -- and failed -- to make that happen around the NFL draft. Is there a market for him now? League sources believe the best the organization can do is a day-three pick (Rounds 4-7).”

“And maybe even a later one at that. Obviously, all things equal, Boutte could probably find more opportunities -- and targets -- elsewhere. And that still seems to be the most likely of scenarios. Until then, he’s under contract."

Commanders’ fresh mindset reveals why last year’s pain may not go wasted

Sonny Styles, Odafe Oweh, Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks, and Josh Conerly Jr., among others, are all laying down an early marker. Others are following their lead, and quarterback Jayden Daniels is evolving his quiet leadership into taking the initiative.

Jayden Daniels’ Biggest Minicamp Test Starts Before the Ball Leaves His Hand

Now the question shifts to whether he can take the next step from dynamic playmaker to complete franchise quarterback. To truly separate himself from the pack of signal-callers across today's NFL, he'll have to prove he can master the parts of the position that go beyond arm talent. Things like cadence command at the line of scrimmage, elite timing, protection answers on the fly, route rhythm within the offense and with his receivers, pre-snap leverage, huddle command, and, in the end, comfort in new offensive coordinator David Blough's system.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow the Burgundy & Gold on Facebook and Philip Hughes on X for the latest news. You can also subscribe to our Facebook Messenger News Channel, which is the fastest and easiest way to actually see our articles while on any Meta product.the

Add us as a preferred source on Google