🏈 ‘Howie Season’ is upon us | Sports Daily Newsletter
The new league year is almost upon us, and the Eagles general manager is facing perhaps his toughest offseason yet.
Noon today is the start of the legal tampering period in NFL free agency, when players and teams can negotiate with free agents. Nothing can become official until Wednesday with the start of the new league year, but the news will still be fast and furious today.
David Murphy writes that it’s also the beginning of “Howie Season.” As in Howie Roseman, the highly successful Eagles general manager, who is one year removed from winning his second Super Bowl. But Murphy argues that he’s also facing his toughest offseason yet.
Sure, it has something to do with the A.J. Brown question — to trade or not to trade? — but it goes beyond that. We saw a preview of it this weekend with Jordan Davis getting paid to stick around for three more years.
We — and Roseman — are only getting started as perhaps the wildest week of the NFL calendar kicks off today. Check out Murphy’s three question that will actually define the Eagles’ offseason.
— John Roberts, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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They’re already playing without max-contract players Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension). And must-see rookie VJ Edgecombe also has missed the past two games with a back bruise and is listed as questionable to play tonight. Now the Sixers will be without their otherwise durable and dynamic star Tyrese Maxey for at least two games. He has a sprain to his right fifth finger, the team announced on Sunday, and will undergo further testing. It’s the same pinkie finger he sprained last year, which clearly hampered his shooting while he tried to play through it before it ended his season. Will there be reason for concern again this time?
Next: The short-handed Sixers travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers at 7 tonight.
What we’re …
🔎 Following: Luke Gabrysh was a Phillies fan growing up and would often attend games with his St. Joe’s teammates in college. Now, the pitcher is turning heads with his childhood team.
🤞🏻Craving: The World Baseball Classic is great, but it’s not the Olympics. Imagine this roster of superstars competing for Team USA in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
🔠 Grading: How did the Flyers do at the trade deadline? Jackie Spiegel and Gustav Elvin hand out their grades for Danny Brière’s moves.
After a brief trip to Philadelphia to see team doctors on Thursday, Aidan Miller was back in the Phillies clubhouse this weekend, where he gave an update on how his back is feeling.
Miller, the organization’s top prospect, has been feeling back soreness since last season. He says he’s “starting to feel a lot better now,” but he said there is no timeline for his return.
Kyle Schwarber’s latest blast in the World Baseball Classic against Great Britain was predictable for the teammates who know him best.
On Saturday, Alex Bump not only made his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins but also “just closed my eyes and shot” for his first NHL goal.
The PPG Paints Arena crowd was pretty quiet when Bump scored, except for a roar that came from down below and to the left of the press box.
It wasn’t hard to figure out where the yell came. The “Official Bump Hype Crew” showed up in full force to watch the 22-year-old live his NHL dream.
A day after Jasmine Bascoe’s career outing propelled Villanova’s women to the Big East tournament semifinals, a teamwide effort carried the Wildcats to the title game.
Bascoe scored 15, Brynn McCurry tallied 16, and Denae Carter added 11 and seven rebounds in a 62-48 win for the No. 2 seed over No. 3 Seton Hall.
Next: The Wildcats face Connecticut, No. 1 in the Big East and the nation, in tonight’s championship at 7 (NBCSN, Peacock).
On this date
March 9: Actually, two great Philly moments to share today. On this date in 2013, Bernard Hopkins won the IBF light heavyweight title after defeating Tavoris Cloud. Just 52 years earlier, Wilt Chamberlain dropped 67, that’s right, 6-7, to guide the Warriors in a 135-126 win against the New York Knicks.
Coming off his monster home run over the weekend for the United States in the World Baseball Classic, we’d be remiss to not suggest you check out Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber’s in-depth conversation with Inquirer writer Scott Lauber. Watch here.
What Hayes is saying
In a column for The Inquirer, Marcus Hayes writes that the deal for Maxx Crosby was expensive — it cost the Ravens this year’s first-round pick and next year’s first-round pick. First-round picks in Philly are golden. Crosby also makes about $30 million each of the next two seasons. And it would have been worth it.
🧠 Trivia time
Minor injury setback aside, it’s not too hard to envision VJ Edgecombe in the running for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. With that in mind, who is the only Sixers player to win ROTY after leading all rookies that particular season in scoring, rebounds, and assists? Check back tomorrow for the answer.
A) Allen Iverson
B) Ben Simmons
C) Michael Carter-Williams
D) Tyrese Maxey
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Marcus Hayes, David Murphy.
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