Eagles fly, others nest | Sports Daily Newsletter

It’s starting to sink in that a magical season of players in Eagles green has just passed, and nothing gold can stay. The squad that takes to the field of the Linc come fall is going to look different. Some players have already departed to big money offers elsewhere, while others have declared they’re returning.

How different the Eagles look next season will mostly depend on the person with the biggest say in player personnel, Howie Roseman.

This time of year is the general manager’s Super Bowl. He’s working phones with players and agents, looking for potential stars who might be slighted elsewhere, rearranging the metaphorical chess pieces on the Eagles roster daily, perhaps even hourly. Marcus Hayes, for one, trusts that Roseman is making the right moves.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓Have any Eagles departures made you question Howie Roseman yet? Why or why not? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Tournament season is upon us, and that means it’s time to play The Inquirer’s Bracket Jawn. Fill out one bracket per tournament by Thursday noon for men, Friday noon for women, for a chance to win one of two $1,000 Visa gift cards.

Jason Kelce picked a day of departures for the Eagles to make public what he’d already told Roseman — he’s back for another year. The Eagles agreed to terms with their longtime center. With their heart and soul in place, where does that leave Cam Jurgens? He was drafted to eventually replace Kelce, and as a second-year player, he might very well move to guard.

The offensive line saw reserve tackle Andre Dillard agree to terms with the Titans, but where the Eagles could see a major overhaul is on defense. On Day 1 of the legal tampering period, the unit lost starters Javon Hargrave, T.J. Edwards, and Marcus Epps as they found lucrative contracts elsewhere.

There were two familiar faces present at the Flyers Training Center on Monday, as both Sean Couturier (back) and Travis Konecny (upper body) participated in a rehab skate separate from the team.

John Tortorella did not have updated timetables on either player and it remains to be seen whether either player will feature over the final 16 games. Tony DeAngelo, who returned to practice after serving his two-game suspension, noted that Couturier looked good when he skated with him recently.

“Sean looked really, really good a couple days ago when we skated together,” DeAngelo said. “But it’s encouraging for everybody to see around the locker room, organization, fans, everybody. He’s our most important guy. It’s good to see him getting back to healthy.”

Next: The Flyers host the Vegas Golden Knights tonight (7 p.m., NBCSP).

J.T. Realmuto is the most complete catcher in the majors and the first choice to catch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Four years into his Phillies tenure, with three seasons left on his catcher-record $115.5 million contract, he’s in the conversation with Darren Daulton and Carlos Ruíz for the best backstop in franchise history. And if the next three years go as well as the last six did, well, it won’t be a stretch to begin wondering if Realmuto — who turns 32 on Saturday — is a Hall of Famer.

Next: The Phillies play the Braves at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday at BayCare Ballpark (NBCSP).

It’s that time of year. With the NBA playoffs right around the corner, defense ratchets up across the league — and the 76ers are no exception. Joel Embiid, who has to preserve himself at different portions of the season, spoke about bringing more intensity on defense to prepare himself for warfare. The Sixers a team full of players who can put pressure on the ball and take calculated risk, have recently leaned on Embiid to be “roamer” who defends the rim. The approach has netted spectacular results that Embiid expects to keep going in April and May.

Next: The Sixers get back on the court at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the teams they could face in the Eastern Conference.

No, Andre Blake will not be on the field tonight in Subaru Park for Concacaf Champions League action as the Union take on El Salvador’s Alianza, but the MRI scan from his Saturday night injury could have been much worse.

What can’t be much worse, however, is the results of the independent investigation into the retaliatory actions of U.S. soccer legend Claudio Reyna and his wife, Danielle, on behalf of their son, Gio.

Jonathan Tannenwald also explained how the report revealed Claudio has had a history of these sorts of complaints.

Next: The Union take on Alianza at Subaru Park (8 p.m., Fox Soccer Plus, ViX+).

Local matchups: The WNIT has plenty of intrigue with various city teams involved.

Temple’s troubles: Getting a new coach won’t magically solve things for Temple, Mike Jensen writes.

Hardly knew you: Wildcat fans might have already seen the last of Cam Whitmore in a Villanova jersey.

A young Howie Roseman, in search of an entry-level position in football, sent out around how many letters to NFL organizations before landing a job in 2000 with the Eagles as an intern? Remember, your best guess is better than looking up the answer online! Email your response.

A) Over 100, less than 200

B) Over 200, less than 300

C) Over 500, less than 1000

D) Over 1000

We asked: Do you plan to watch the Villanova men in the NIT? Among your responses:

As a Villanova alumnus - class of 1968 - and a long time Villanova basketball fan now living in Charleston, SC, I do plan to watch the men (and women) play in their tournaments, assuming the games are broadcast in my area. —Tom M.

The NIT is like celebrating your mediocrity or going to the dentist. Did Wright know something that we all did not know about the team and that is why he retired? (Like Eddie Sawyer in 1960). The new coach did not show very much ability and the team did not play up to their expectations. Is the this just a symptom of the decline of the Big 5? —Tom J.

Of course I will watch. — Nancy B.

This season as a Villanova Men’s Basketball fan certainly has had its ups and downs. Letting go of expectations has been a challenge. I admit that I have taken the success of the past 7 years for granted. It’s easy to be a fan when your team is winning. Some fans will call this season a “failure” and will refuse to watch Nova play in what they consider a second rate tournament. However, I will continue to watch and support this team and these young men who are doing the best they can. I have attended many games this season and win or lose I am thankful for the opportunities these games provided me to reconnect with my fellow Villanovans and cheer for a program that we all love. For better or worse, I will support the Villanova Men’s Basketball Team with the loyalty and pride of a Villanova Alumni who appreciates the many years of joy this program has brought to the lives of my family and friends. —Kathleen C.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Marcus Hayes, Mike Jensen, Melanie Heller, Colin Beazley, Gina Mizell, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Josh Tolentino, EJ Smith, and Jeff McLane.