NFC East

Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott is back to full strength while taking part in his team's offseason program.

"This is the healthiest I've been in a long, long time," the quarterback told reporters Wednesday. "... It feels great."

Prescott underwent surgery on his left shoulder earlier this offseason after dealing with right shoulder and calf issues during the 2021 campaign. He also suffered an ankle injury in 2020 that cost him 11 games before he spent much of that offseason rehabbing. 

Despite the ailments, the 28-year-old still missed just one game in 2021 and finished with 4,449 passing yards, 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and an 11-5 record as a starter. His 104.2 passer rating ranked third in the NFL, and he finished second in voting for Comeback Player of the Year behind Joe Burrow.

Prescott was also on a historic pace in 2020 with an average of 371.2 passing yards per game before his injury in Week 5.

If the former Mississippi State star can stay healthy, he can be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

Of course, expectations are high for a player with an average annual salary of $40 million. 

The Cowboys won an NFC East title in 2021, but the playoffs were a disappointment with a wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The organization has just one postseason win since Prescott was drafted in 2016, and it hasn't reached the conference title game since 1995.

A healthy Prescott means no excuses heading into a pressure-filled 2022 season.     

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters Tuesday that he isn't aware of the rumors that NFL owners could push to remove Dan Snyder from Washington Commanders ownership.

"I'm not aware of that at all," Goodell said.

Goodell's comments come after an anonymous NFL owner told USA Today's Jarrett Bell that there was "growing frustration" about everything going on with Snyder and the Commanders franchise.

Goodell said that he didn't sense frustration among the owners about Snyder's tenure.

"No, I don't. ... Let's wait and get the facts," Goodell said.

Another anonymous owner told Bell they were "counting votes" to remove Snyder. Removing him would require 24 votes among league owners.

In addition to sexual harassment allegations against Snyder and a House Oversight Committee investigation into toxic workplace allegations against the franchise, the Federal Trade Commission and the Virginia attorney general are investigating Snyder and the Commanders for financial improprieties.

The Commanders allegedly withheld refundable deposits from season ticket holders or made them difficult to get back. They are also accused of keeping two accounting books to hold on to money that should have been sent to the NFL's revenue-sharing pool.

Snyder and the Commanders have denied the allegations.

The NFL fined the Commanders $10 million in July 2021 after its own investigation into the toxic workplace allegations. Snyder's wife, Tanya Snyder, took over the team's day-to-day operations for a few months after that.

Washington Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne walked off the practice field Tuesday because of his contract situation, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic.

Payne was present at the start of OTAs, but he reportedly moved to the side field and skipped team drills despite not dealing with any physical injury. He did still reportedly take part in other team activities:

The 2018 first-round draft pick is heading into the final season of his rookie contract after the team picked up his fifth-year option for 2022. Standig reported last month that the Commanders don't plan to offer him an extension and have made him available in trades.

Payne has appeared in 64 of 65 possible regular-season games in his NFL career and started all 17 games in 2021, setting a career high with 61 tackles. He added 4.5 sacks while ranking second on the team with 15 quarterback hits.

The 24-year-old played 75.6 percent of the defensive snaps last season, which led all Washington defensive linemen and ranked fifth on the team.

Despite the production, Payne could struggle to land a new deal with the Commanders because of the team's other options on the roster. Fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Allen signed a four-year, $72 million extension last offseason, while Chase Young and Montez Sweat are each scheduled to make over $10 million in 2023.

Payne has an $8.5 million salary in 2022, but there likely won't be room in the salary cap to keep him under contract beyond this season.

Washington also used its second-round draft pick this year on Alabama defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis, giving itself a potential replacement for Payne.

With Payne unhappy with his current situation, it could signal a split in the near future.   

In an offseason that saw several notable trades involving star wide receivers, the Washington Commanders don't sound like they are going to move on from Terry McLaurin anytime soon. 

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said the team has "had communication" with McLaurin's representatives and it's "just a matter of time" as the two sides talk about a new deal. 

It's not a surprise that Washington has been speaking with McLaurin about a new contract. 

General manager Martin Mayhew seemed to confirm talks were happening last month prior to the NFL draft. 

"We’re really excited about the opportunity we have with Terry to continue with us for a long time," Mayhew told reporters on April 25. 

The market for receivers has changed dramatically in the past two months. Four of the five richest deals for wideouts by average annual salary have been signed this offseason.

Three of those contracts were signed by players after they were traded by their previous team, including Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown. Stefon Diggs is the only player in that group who re-signed with his current team. 

Adams' deal with the Las Vegas Raiders (five years, $140 million) is the richest ever given to a wide receiver. Hill's extension with the Miami Dolphins includes $72.2 million guaranteed, the most ever for a player at the position. 

Even though McLaurin's body of work on the surface isn't quite at the level of those players, there's an argument that his resume over the past three years is more impressive because Washington has had a revolving door of journeyman quarterbacks running the offense. 

McLaurin has recorded at least 919 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, including more than 1,000 yards in 2020 and 2021. Alex Smith and Taylor Heinicke have been Washington's primary starting quarterbacks over the past two years. 

A third-round pick by the Commanders in 2019, McLaurin is entering the final season of his rookie deal. The Ohio State alum will earn $2.79 million in 2022.      

Leaf Trading Cards filed a civil lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb seeking damages for an alleged breach of contract.

Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the lawsuit filed in Texas, which cites the company's "loss of income and loss of goodwill" because of customers who failed to receive autographed cards from Lamb that were promised by the company.

Brian Gray, Leaf's CEO, posted a statement Monday on Twitter:

The lawsuit alleges Lamb "failed and refused" to provide Leaf with the agreed upon number of autographed cards after signing the contract, which forced the company to compensate customers who didn't have their order fulfilled, per Fisher.

Leaf told the court Lamb could be served with the lawsuit either at his home in Proper, Texas, or at the Cowboys' facilities in Frisco, Texas.

Rich Mueller of Sports Collectors Daily reported Lamb did sign some cards following the 2020 NFL draft, when Dallas selected him in the first round, but the company alleges he failed to provide subsequent signatures.

Lamb, 23, has enjoyed a terrific start to his NFL career, with 153 catches for 2,037 yards and 11 touchdowns in 32 appearances across two seasons.

His success combined with playing for one of the league's most popular teams has created demand for his memorabilia, including cards.

Lamb was born in Louisiana before moving to Texas with his family as a child. He starred at John and Randolph Foster High School in the state and then became an All-American receiver at the University of Oklahoma.

The 2021 Pro Bowl selection has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit's allegations.

The Washington Commanders have purchased around 200 acres of land in Virginia for more than $100 million for what could be used as a potential site for a new stadium, according to ESPN's John Keim.

The Commanders purchased the land, which is their "preferred" location for a new stadium, last week, Keim added. 

The Commanders like the site because it has enough space for other developments around the stadium, such as restaurants, bars, retail shops, the team's practice facility and an amphitheater, according to Keim. 

The new stadium would include 60,000 seats, a translucent roof and a facade that can change colors, according to Keim. 

The Commanders have been playing at Maryland's FedEx Field since 1997. Their contract to play there expires in 2026. Virginia has attempted to lure the team out of Maryland with tax incentives. 

Maryland is also making a push to retain the team, as the Maryland House approved a $400 million plan to develop the area around FedEx Field. However, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said in March that the state would not get into a "bidding war" with Virginia or the District of Columbia to keep the team.

"I think [the Commanders are] using everyone back and forth as they have been for eight years. They’re negotiating, pitting everyone against each other." Hogan said. "But we’re not going to get in a bidding war over them and we’re not going to be proposing $1.2 billion for them to build a new stadium. If Virginia wants to do that and they want to go to Virginia, I would say 'good luck.'"

The Commanders are interested in returning to the RFK Stadium site in the District of Columbia, according to Keim. However, it's on federal land, which would make it extremely difficult to pursue. Washington played there from 1961-96. 

The Commanders' purchase of land in Virginia comes as the team and owner Dan Snyder are being investigated the NFL and Congress. Snyder is being investigated for sexual assault allegations, while the organization is being investigated for financial misconduct. 

The Commanders are set to open the 2022 NFL season at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.