No place like home for new Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick | Sports Daily Newsletter
Reddick, who was a walk-on at Temple and played for Matt Rhule at Carolina, made a splash with the Eagles, signing a three-year deal worth up to $49.5 million.
Home is where the heart is. That statement held true for Haason Reddick on the first day NFL free agents were allowed to negotiate with teams.
Reddick, a Camden native and Temple walk-on, agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $49.5 million. The outside linebacker previously played for the Carolina Panthers — where he played for former Temple coach Matt Rhule — and Arizona Cardinals.
While the deal won’t be official until Wednesday, the Eagles filled an area of need and should improve a pass rush that ranked 31st in the NFL last season.
Reddick joins an Eagles team made a surprise appearance in the playoffs last season. The focus, however, was set mostly on Jalen Hurts and the offense.
But that could change this year as the Eagles make efforts to address their needs on defense. As The Inquirer’s EJ Smith notes, the team has holes at cornerback and safety to fill and little money to spend. So Eagles fans should enjoy this big splash and keep an eye out for the sensible moves and small waves to follow Reddick’s signing.
— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport
If salary cap constraints weren’t an issue, what player would you most love to see in an Eagles jersey? Tell us: sports.daily@inquirer.com
Early Birds
With Reddick agreeing to terms with the Eagles, it appears that Alex Singleton is on his way out as the team reportedly non-tendered its leading tackler. Singleton had carved out a role with the Eagles since coming from the CFL, and while they could have kept him for a low cost, the decision was made to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
One Eagle who’s returning to the team next season is center Jason Kelce, and days after announcing he wasn’t retiring, he appeared at the Sixers game to sing the national anthem. Kelce spoke of this being the closest he has come to retiring, but ultimately, he’s coming back.
Next: What news will Day 2 of legal tampering bring?
Extra Innings
Bryce Harper reached out to Kris Bryant the other day. No, not about joining him in the heart of the Phillies lineup but to congratulate his former youth baseball teammate on Bryant and his wife announcing she’s pregnant with twins. But Harper said Monday that he’d very much like to see Bryant — or Kyle Schwarber or Nick Castellanos — sign a free-agent deal with the Phillies. “I think all three are winners,” Harper said. “They’ve proven that.”
About that shortstop competition ... the 2021 starter, Didi Gregorius, says he was told after last season to prepare to change positions in 2022.
The Phillies’ roster construction continued on Monday with the additions of outfielder Odúbel Herrera and left-handed reliever Brad Hand.
Next: The Phillies open their spring training schedule at 1:05 p.m. Friday against the Tigers.
Off the Dribble
Joel Embiid has maintained a spot near the top of the MVP race for much of the NBA season. But while he has few competitors, one name has been connected to Embiid over and over again. This season, the 76ers star once again found himself compared to the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic. Despite the competition, both players share mutual respect for each other. Embiid called Jokic “a monster” and Jokic called Embiid “dominant” and “tough to cover for every single team in the league.”
The hypothetical conversations and pleasantries took a backseat Monday as there was actual basketball to discuss. The Sixers hosted the Nuggets at the Wells Fargo Center and Jokic got the better of the matchup as the Sixers lost, 114-110.
Next: The Sixers play Wednesday at 7 p.m. (NBCSP) against the host Cleveland Cavaliers in a matchup against one of the East’s upstart franchises.
On the Fly
With Claude Giroux set to play his 1,000th game on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, some of his current and former teammates spoke Monday about their best moments with the captain.
The common theme? He’s ultra-competitive. Scott Hartnell recalls one time he even challenged Craig Berube to an arm wrestling contest. How’d he do? Find out here.
While Giroux received rave reviews Monday, interim coach Mike Yeo had some more damning things to say about some of his teammates.
Next: The Flyers host the Nashville Predators on Thursday at 7 p.m. (NBCSP).
Fleet Street
There have been some who believe that it will be a cold day in hell before an MLS team captures the modern edition of the Concacaf Champions League. It still hasn’t happened yet, but on a cold day in Massachusetts, an MLS team took a big step toward making that happen. Jonathan Tannenwald has the latest news on that and more soccer games to watch this week.
NCAA Tournament Time
March means brackets: Test out the bracket jawn for the men’s and women’s tournaments and enter for your chance to win $1,000.
Rising Wildcat: Brandon Slater got plenty of attention with an eye-popping blocked shot during Villanova’s run through the Big East Tournament.
Best bets in March Madness: How far will Villanova go? Is Vermont undervalued as a 13 seed? Which No. 1 seed goes down first? An initial look at the 68-team field.
Penn’s Jelani Williams wants a tournament run: The senior guard, who has three years of eligibility left after suffering three ACL injuries, intends to enter the transfer portal.
Trivia Tuesday
What school became the first team with 20 Final Four appearances?
A) Kentucky
B) North Carolina
C) UCLA
D) Kansas
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Mike Jensen, and Jonathan Tannenwald.