Howie knows best | Sports Daily Newsletter

As the NFL trade deadline came to a close on Tuesday at 4 p.m., some of the biggest news included the Jets trading cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

The Cowboys also pulled off a major move to boost their bottom-ranked defense in a trade with the Jets for star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams while adding linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals.

Howie Roseman and the Eagles were among those in the news as well, but the general manager didn’t trade A.J. Brown, despite some speculation, or land high-end talent in Myles Garrett.

“I feel like when there’s opportunities to be aggressive for the right players, we’re not going to sit on our hands,” Roseman said. “I don’t think that you have great success without taking great risks at times. They’ve got to make sense in terms of the risks that you’re taking.”

Roseman was still aggressive in addressing positions of need. He made three acquisitions over the course of five days, adding an edge rusher and a pair of cornerbacks.

The Eagles’ trade-deadline moves weren’t a new chapter. But this is all part of his strategy to upgrade every spot, and time will tell if the moves he made will pay off in the form of back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓What are your thoughts on the moves Roseman made before the NFL trade deadline? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The bullpen that the Phillies deployed in the National League Division Series this year wasn’t anything close to what one would have predicted the unit to look like in February. The relief corps underwent a complete overhaul over the course of the season, largely by necessity.

No change was bigger than the addition of Johan Duran, who gave Rob Thomson the first bona fide closer of his run as manager. What’s next for the bullpen? Lochlahn March continues her series assessing the roster going into what promises to be a busy offseason.

🤔 Wondering: What folks are saying about the Eagles’ deadline moves. Howie Roseman was called “the Obi-Wan Kenobi of NFL trades.”

🏈 Following: Nolan Smith took a step toward his return to the lineup. The Eagles opened his 21-day practice window.

📖 Reading: How two St. Joseph’s men’s tennis players are making school history as a doubles pairing.

🎧 Listening: 0n this week’s Phillies Extra podcast Scott Lauber sat down with Dusty Wathan, the Phillies’ third base and catching coach.

Each of the Eagles’ division foes lost this weekend, and so did the 5-3 Detroit Lions and the 5-2-1 Green Bay Packers, which will help the Eagles from an NFC playoff seeding perspective.

Now, coming off the bye, the Birds have a long week to prepare for a Monday night matchup with the Packers, who are reeling following the loss of Tucker Kraft for the season. Meanwhile, the Eagles are getting healthier, with Nolan Smith, Jakorian Bennett, and Brandon Graham expected to be available to play. Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) ahead of the Eagles-Packers Week 10 game.

Christian Dvorak may have been born in Illinois and played his formative years in Arizona, but for the last four years, he called Montreal home. During those four seasons with the Canadiens, Dvorak made a lot of friends and left a lasting impact on some of the team’s young core.

“Just the way he took care of everybody, just a good guy to be around. As a hockey player, he was tremendous for us, probably underrated,” said star winger Cole Caufield of the veteran Dvorak. The Flyers are reaping similar benefits since signing Dvorak in the offseason. Just ask Trevor Zegras.

Zegras scored the game-winning shootout goal for the Flyers, who withstood a four-goal second period from the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Bobby Brink led the Flyers with two goals.

Pelle Lindbergh remains one of Philadelphia’s greatest “what-ifs.” The first European goaltender drafted into the NHL, he won the Vezina Trophy and led the Flyers to Stanley Cup Final in 1984-85 as a 26-year-old.

But that Vezina Trophy-winning season would be his last full one, as Lindbergh crashed his car and died in Somerdale, N.J., while driving drunk that same year. He was 26 years old.

Lindbergh’s life and death are the subject of a new documentary from filmmaker Charlie Minn, The Swede of Philadelphia, which will be screened in some local theaters beginning Wednesday.

After relatively a long local nightmare ended late Tuesday afternoon, when the NFL’s trade deadline passed and A.J. Brown — to the surprise of no one with even a slight familiarity with Howie Roseman and the 2025 Eagles — remained on their roster. Yet someone asked Roseman on a Zoom call to address the notion that the Eagles might have traded Brown. Roseman responded: “When you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to trade great players.” To put this as simply and directly as possible, the Eagles were never trading Brown. Not now. Not in the middle of the season, and not when they’re 6-2, writes columnist Mike Sielski.

Who was the last Eagle to lead the NFL in scoring?

D) David Akers with 143 in 2010 — Pete S. was first with the correct answer.

The Eagles were busy at the NFL trade deadline, but they were not alone. If you have any questions about the deadline, join The Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner in the r/Eagles subreddit on Thursday for an AMA!

We asked: Which team is the biggest threat to the Eagles in the NFC? Among your responses:

The Rams are the biggest threat in the Eagles’ way as of today. They want it more than other teams as I see it. They have the ability to play hard and are experienced in more areas than their counterparts. I can’t wait to see them in another rematch in the weeks to come. — Miles D.

Biggest challenge will be the NFC North and starting right away this week visiting the 5-2 Packers. Fortunately not yet freezing cold there. Then both the 5-3 Lions and 5-3 Bears, but fortunately both these upcoming games are at the Linc. Then probably the toughest game of the year will be in freezing cold Buffalo on 12-28 against the now 6-2 Bills with the always very tough Josh Allen, always my favorite QB other than Jalen. — Everett S.

Nobody. If we can stay healthy and gain continuity on the offensive and defensive side of the ball we will be heading back to the Super Bowl. If I had to pick a team I would say the Rams as they were the only team last year to challenge us in the playoffs. — RJ M.

At this stage of the season the Eagles themselves are their biggest threat. They have to improve defensively and need to be more consistent on offense. Accomplishing those two goals will have them winning the division and readying themselves for the postseason. — Bill B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Mike Sielski, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Jeff Neiburg, Gabriela Carroll, Owen Hewitt, Jackie Spiegel, Colin Schofield, Devin Jackson, and Katie Lewis.

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.

As always, thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day, and Kerith will be back in your inbox with Thursday’s newsletter. — Bella