So long, A.J.? …| Sports Daily Newsletter

Good morning and happy Turnaround Tuesday (for the Sixers tonight). Just in time for the NFL draft, we get some clarity on what the Eagles plan on doing with A.J. Brown. ESPN reported Monday that his long-expected trade to the Patriots is expected to happen “on or after June 1.”

The Eagles began voluntary workouts Monday and sources told The Inquirer that Brown, normally a regular participant, did not attend. By waiting until June 1, the Birds can lessen the blow of the salary cap implications of trading Brown: His $40 million cap charge can be split between 2026 and ’27.

So welcome, DeVonta Smith, to the role of WR1. The Eagles telegraphed their punches lately by improving their depth at wide receiver, signing Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency and trading for Green Bay’s Dontayvion Wicks. There is some NFL-tested talent there.

And now here comes the draft, starting Thursday, when Makai Lemon (USC), Carnell Tate (Ohio State), and Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) are likely to be the top three receivers off the board. Maybe Howie Roseman can grab a first-round receiver with some draft-night magic. Before the latest Brown news, Olivia Reiner and Devin Jackson wrote about the draft prospects at the position.

And just for fun, here’s Devin’s mock draft 4.0, which has the Eagles drafting an offensive lineman in the first round.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Flyers picked a great time to have their first shutout of the season. Dan Vladař stopped all 27 shots he faced, while Porter Martone, Garnet Hathaway, and Luke Glendening supplied the offense in a 3-0 Game 2 win over the Penguins to give the Flyers a 2-0 series lead heading back to Philly.

Many of the Flyers are in the playoffs for the first time, but the team took a “businesslike” approach into Game 2, coach Rick Tocchet said.

The Sixers were dreadful in their series-opening loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. They lost, 123-91, creating history for a franchise steeped in it. The Sixers’ 32-point loss was Boston’s largest margin of victory in a playoff opener. There were a lot of reasons the Sixers were trounced, including their poor three-point shooting, poor defensive effort, and poor ballhandling. They’re making efforts to correct those.

Game 2 is tonight at 7 in Boston (NBCSN, Peacock).

The Sixers are without star Joel Embiid (again), which means they’re depending on rookie VJ Edgecombe to serve as their second in command. And they might be relying on him too much, Inquirer columnist David Murphy writes.

The Phillies are two-time defending NL East champions and have a projected payroll of $317 million, fifth-highest in baseball. They have All-Stars at the top of the lineup and aces throughout the starting rotation. And none of that matters in the standings, where at 8-14, they trail the likes of the Marlins and Nationals. So far, this season has been frustrating for the fans and the team.

“Sure, there’s frustration,” Kyle Schwarber says. “But I think you can only grin at it, too, right? It is what it is. I feel like, on a daily basis, I see the guys in here and the way that they’re working, it’s inevitable. At some point, it’s going to change.”

Ahead of the Phillies’ series opener against the Cubs, Brad Keller reconnected with some of his old friends in the outfield. Keller revitalized his career in Chicago last year, going from a journeyman starter to reliable bullpen arm.

“Had lot of cool moments over here, pitching the playoffs for the first time — going to the playoffs for the first time — just some really cool experiences with my time here," Keller said.

Aaron Nola struggled with his command as the Phillies dropped their sixth straight game with a 5-1 loss to the Cubs. Justin Crawford managed to drive in the Phillies’ only run.

Villanova lost the majority of its rotation to the transfer portal and graduation, so coach Kevin Willard has been busy restocking the roster. Consider the guard position stocked. The Wildcats will sign St. Bonaventure transfer Darryl “Buddy” Simmons II, he announced on social media. He’s a shooting guard.

This comes on the heels of Villanova landing Illinois-Chicago point guard Elijah Crawford and Cornell shooting guard Jake Fiegen. Tyler Perkins is returning and freshman Adam Oumiddoch is coming in, so ’Nova should be good to go in the backcourt.

Over at La Salle, former Cristo Rey High star Devin Booker is transferring in from George Mason.

Bobby Clarke won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s regular-season MVP three times. Who is the only other Flyer to win the award? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Eric Lindros

B) Reggie Leach

C) Bill Barber

D) Tim Kerr

We asked: Who is the most despised rival for Philadelphia teams and why? Among your responses:

The hated Dallas Cowboys. Regardless of records, “Dallas Week” is a big event twice a year. Memorable moments include the 1980 NFC Championship matchup, the 2000 Pickle Juice game and the Tony Franklin game-winning kick on Monday Night Football. — Bob C.

My most disliked franchise is Dallas! From Eddie LeBaron to Dak Prescott it has been my pleasure to root against this squad. No better feeling than to see the smirk removed from Jerry Jones’ face. I treasure every loss inflicted on this team by anyone in the league, especially SWEET when it is the Birds. — Bill B.

The most despised list includes the Cowboys, Braves and Mets, and of course the hated Boston Celtics. The rivalry with the Celtics goes all the way back to the Philadelphia Warriors and has always been intense. And of course of the three younger rivalries nothing tops the Cowboys. — Everett S.

Eagles — Cowboys; Phillies — Mets; 76ers — Celtics; Flyers — Rangers — Ronald R.

No question in my mind: The Celtics. The NY Yankees of basketball — not a compliment, a poke at fan smugness. There have been so many clashes, starting with the Wilt-led Warriors in the 60s and reaching a crescendo in the Dr. J/Billy C.-coached teams in the late 70s/early 80s. So many hard-fought games and many, disappointments for us but some sweet victories as well — like breaking the Celts streak in 66-67 and beating them a few times in the 70s/early 80s … — Bob B.

The Celtics — long rivalry and they usually beat the Sixers (and before that, the Warriors). Plus, the Markelle Fultz draft choice trade. — Richard V.

The Celtics and their fans! — Fred P.

Dallas Cowboys. America’s Meme. — Tom O.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Jackie Spiegel, Gabriela Carroll, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, David Murphy, Owen Hewitt, Ariel Simpson, Mia Messina, and Conor Smith.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thank you for reading. Bella will bring you the newsletter on Wednesday. — Jim