NFC Notes: Dante Fowler, Azeez Ojulari, Deebo Samuel, Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles

Commanders

The Commanders traded for WR Deebo Samuel to give QB Jayden Daniels another weapon alongside WR Terry McLaurin. Samuel is looking to live up to the team’s expectations and explained his renewed motivation after a down season by his standards.

“They put this much trust in me,” Samuel said, via ESPN’s John Keim. “I can’t come in here and let them down… They’re getting a motivated Deebo. You get a dawg out there. These young legs are still moving, this body is still working pretty well.”

• Commanders TE John Bates signed a three-year, $21 million contract with Washington. $11.52 million is fully guaranteed including a $7 million signing bonus. He also has a $340,000 roster bonus each season, per Over The Cap.

Cowboys

The Cowboys brought back DE Dante Fowler Jr. this offseason after he posted 10.5 sacks in 2024, his best total since 2019. Fowler explained how he returned to his top form and discussed his plans to replicate that success going forward.

“I feel like I got the most reps I got in a long time. . . . I feel like that played a role in it, I had a really good offseason, taking care of my body, working out, stuff like that, so I felt really confident going into the season,” Fowler said, via the Cowboys website. “I already knew what kind of work I was going to put out because I put the work in in the offseason, so I was very confident in what I was going to do this season. I’m just going to take the same formula here in Dallas, we have better resources down here too, so I’m excited to see where it’s going to go. I don’t know why, maybe I was a late bloomer or something, but I definitely started to click and make sense last year, I don’t see why it would just stop right now.”

Eagles

Eagles EDGE rusher Azeez Ojulari said he’s excited to rejoin forces with many of his former collegiate teammates.

“It’s amazing having that chemistry and brotherhood with those guys, it’s just amazing to come back here and just keep it going on,” Ojulari said, via PFT. “We got so many Georgia guys here. Nolan, that’s my brother for real. All of them are my brothers, but Nolan, since we’ve been in the same room since Georgia, I’m probably more close with him. But I’m close with all of them – we all share that brotherhood and the relationship we have is amazing. I’m ready to be here now.”