NFC East Morning Run | May 29, 2020

Cowboys eyeing Mahomes contract talks; Del Rio talks new redskins defense; former Eagles DB Jenkins to deliver commencement speech; Love named most underrated Giants player.

DALLAS | Will Patrick Mahomes' contract negotiations affect Dak Prescott?

The Kansas City Chiefs have opened contract talks with their Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with some projecting Mahomes' next contract to range anywhere from $40-$50 million per year.

With Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott currently in the middle of contract negotiations himself, the scale of Mahomes' impending contract might lead the Cowboys to speed things up.

The Cowboys have reportedly offered Prescott a five-year deal worth $35 million APY with virtual guarantees over $106 million. However, Prescott is believed to be looking for a shorter four-year contract.

PHILADELPHIA | Malcolm Jenkins will be the commencement speaker for Philadelphia schools

Former Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins will be the keynote speaker for the Philadelphia School District during its graduation ceremonies on June 9. The ceremony will be done online due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, so Jenkins’ speech will be virtual.

The Philadelphia Schools Twitter account announced on Thursday that Jenkins is “a leader on & off the field (and) is the perfect person to celebrate the resiliency and promise of our Class of 2020 grads!”

Jenkins played in Philadelphia from 2014 to 2019 but signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason. Jenkins was a defensive captain for the Eagles in 2017 when they won the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

Jenkins made all 96 starts after joining the Eagles as a free agent in 2014 and was an active member in the Philadelphia community and is a figure the community still values as a valuable public figure for the city's youth.

WASHINGTON | Jack Del Rio talks Chase Young and Redskins defense

Redskins new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio spoke with reporters via videoconference Thursday and addressed several topics relating to Washington's defense.

Del Rio said that the impact of the Redskins' first-round pick defensive end Chase Young would depend upon how the secondary and the pass rush complement each other.

“You can have the best rusher in the world, but without coverage, it’s not going to be positive for you.” Del Rio said.

The Redskins' 2020 defensive front will boast four first-round draft picks from each of the last four drafts with Jonathan Allen, Da'Ron Payne, Montez Sweat, and Chase Young.

NEW YORK | Julian Love named PFF's most underrated Giants player

Pro Football Focus has named Giants' second-year defensive back Julian Love the team's most underrated player heading into 2020.

"Love is a guy who graded extremely well at the college ranks as an outside cornerback for the Fighting Irish, earning coverage grades of 83.7 and 90.9 during his final two seasons with Notre Dame," the article said.

"Love followed that up by coming away from the 2019 season with an encouraging 70.5 overall grade despite being a 21-year-old rookie playing a new position."

Love saw time at corner and safety in 2019 and could be a replacement for cornerback DeAndre Baker pending Baker's current legal troubles.