Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/2ufxh3zp

Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Nolan Smith was arrested Friday, May 15 in central Georgia on charges of reckless driving and excessive speeding after authorities said he was clocked at 135 mph in a 70-mph zone on Interstate 16 in Twiggs County.

The Georgia Gazette, which tracks criminal cases in the state through public records, was first to report on the arrest, which has been confirmed by multiple outlets.

According to the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office, Smith was stopped around 10:40 p.m. and later booked into jail before being released on bond.

The arrest comes to light as the Eagles prepare to begin organized team activities on Tuesday.

Smith, 25, whom Philadelphia drafted 30th overall out of the University of Georgia in 2023, will be entering his fourth season with the team. His best year was in 2024, when he logged 42 combined tackles, eight TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 11 QB hits, two passes defended, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He spent much of last season on injured reserve after re-aggravating a triceps injury.

In April, the Eagles picked up his 2027 fifth-year option worth $13.75 million.

Smith’s arrest is the latest in a string of driving-related incidents involving current and former University of Georgia football players, including Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Carter pleaded no contest in 2023 to misdemeanor reckless driving and street-racing charges connected to a January 2023 crash that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staff member Chandler LeCroy, who were in the car that Carter was racing.

In addition to that fatal accident, multiple Bulldogs football players have been arrested or cited for speeding, reckless driving or racing-related offenses, drawing national attention to the program’s driving culture.

This also was not Smith’s first driving-related arrest.

While at Georgia in January 2022, Smith was charged with speeding in a construction zone and driving with a suspended license. According to reports at the time, he was accused of driving 89 mph — 44 mph over the posted limit.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/ytpw7pjy

The NFL released its full 2026 schedule Thursday night. Here’s the Eagles’ schedule.

They have nine home games and eight away games. They’ll open at Lincoln Financial Field against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 13.

The Birds will play in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day and host the Houston Texans on Christmas Eve.

The Eagles will play Jacksonville in London as the away team on Oct. 11. They were robbed of a home game two years ago when they opened their season internationally against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil.

“I like going overseas because it’s an opportunity to play in front of a different audience, so I love that part. But coming back, I don’t think it sets you up well,” running back Saquon Barkley said.

The Eagles are slated to play on Sunday Night Football twice, Monday Night Football twice — hosting the Cowboys Oct. 26 — and Thursday Night Football on Prime Video once.

They’ll host a Saturday game against the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. leading into a short week for the Christmas Eve game the following Thursday.

“They doing us crazy,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said after learning of the Christmas Eve date.

Last year, the Birds didn’t have back-to-back home games until December. This season, they have back-to-back road games only three times — in weeks 2-3, weeks 12-13 and weeks 17-18.

They’ll have back-to-back home games twice and a stretch of three consecutive home games this December — though on some short rest against formidable opponents in the Seahawks, Texans and 49ers.

The Eagles’ bye comes in the middle of the season in Week 10, between home games against the Giants and Steelers. Most of their toughest opponents — based on last year’s records — come at home.

But the NFC East should be much improved. The Cowboys, Commanders and Giants have all gotten healthy and upgraded their rosters, and New York landed a future-Hall of Fame coach in John Harbaugh.

On the surface, the Eagles’ schedule appears relatively easy. But their division might end up being the most difficult in the league.

Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears

Preseason

— Saturday, August 15 at Baltimore Ravens 7:00 p.m. NBC10

— Saturday, August 22 at New England Patriots 7:00 p.m. NBC10

— Friday, August 28 Cincinnati Bengals 8:00 p.m. CBS

Regular Season

WEEK 1: Sunday, Sept. 13: Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m., FOX

WEEK 2: Sunday, Sept. 20: at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., FOX

WEEK 3: Monday, Sept. 28: at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. ESPN (Monday Night Football)

WEEK 4: Sunday, Oct.4: Los Angeles Rams 1 p.m., FOX

WEEK 5: Sunday, Oct. 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars in London (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network

WEEK 6: Sunday, Oct. 18: Carolina Panthers 1 p.m.+, CBS

WEEK 7: Monday, Oct. 26: Dallas Cowboys 8:15 p.m. ESPN (Monday Night Football)

WEEK 8: Sunday, Nov. 1: at Washington Commanders 8:20 p.m.+ NBC (Sunday Night Football)

WEEK 9: Sunday, Nov. 8: New York Giants 1 p.m.+, FOX

WEEK 10: BYE

WEEK 11: Sunday, Nov. 22: Pittsburgh Steelers 4:25 p.m.+, CBS

WEEK 12: Thursday, Nov 26: at Dallas Cowboys 4:30 p.m.+, FOX

WEEK 13: Sunday, Dec. 6: at Arizona Cardinals 4:05 p.m.+, FOX

WEEK 14: Sunday, Dec. 13: Indianapolis Colts 1 p.m.+, FOX

WEEK 15: Saturday, Dec: 19 Seattle Seahawks 5 p.m.+, FOX

WEEK 16: Thursday, Dec. 24 Houston Texans, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video (Thursday Night Football)

WEEK 17: Sunday, Jan. 3: at San Francisco 49ers 8:20 p.m.+, NBC (Sunday Night Football)

WEEK 18: at New York Giants, TBD

Postseason

— AFC and NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Saturday, Jan. 16; Sunday, Jan. 17; Monday, Jan. 18

— AFC and NFC Divisional Playoffs: Saturday, Jan. 23; Sunday, Jan. 24

— AFC and NFC Championship Games: Sunday, Jan. 31

— Super Bowl LXI: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN/ABC)Sunday, Feb. 14

+ Game time subject to change due to flex scheduling

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/szyxe5mn

PHILADELPHIA — The baseball looked lighter Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Or maybe the Phillies just stopped carrying the weight of April around with them.

A little less than two weeks after firing manager Rob Thomson during a 9-19 spiral, the Phillies wrapped up their fourth-straight series victory by blanking the Colorado Rockies 6-0 behind two more home runs from Kyle Schwarber and another dominant outing from left-hander Cristopher Sánchez.

More importantly, they left town for a six-game road trip looking like themselves again, like the team this city had been waiting to see all year.

The Phillies are 10-3 under interim manager Don Mattingly — a stretch that easily could have become the season’s breaking point, as they’re still nine games behind the red-hot Braves in the NL East. The standings still matter. The hole from April still exists. But the panic has eased because the Phillies suddenly resemble a team with a pulse, swagger and purpose.

Not coincidentally, they’ve started doing the little things that vanished during the losing streak.

They’ve gotten cleaner starting pitching. Better defense. Better at-bats. Better baserunning. Better energy.

“We’re playing with more urgency right now,” Mattingly said. “Guys are locked in from the first pitch, and when we do that, we’re a tough team to beat.”

The Phillies are hardly steamrolling elite competition in the last four series. The Rockies arrived in Philadelphia as one of baseball’s weakest teams. Miami and San Francisco have both struggled — though the Athletics sit atop the AL West.

But aside from the Braves and Cubs, bad teams spent much of April embarrassing the Phillies too. Winning the games they’re supposed to win counts for something, especially after the way the season began.

And unlike during the early swoon, the Phils suddenly look connected again.

“When everybody’s contributing, the lineup feels different,” Bryce Harper said. “That’s the offense we expect to be.”

Schwarber is back to carrying big innings and is tied with Aaron Judge for the MLB lead in home runs with 16. Alec Bohm responded to his “reset” days off with a two-homer breakout Saturday and then drove in a run Sunday. Harper returned in the Rockies series finale after a migraine scare and immediately homered. Brandon Marsh leads the majors with a .353 batting average.

“We knew we were better than how we played early on,” Schwarber said. “Now we’re starting to stack good games together instead of trying to win everything in one night.”

The clubhouse no longer feels like a room waiting for bad things to happen.

“The energy’s different right now,” Sánchez said. “Guys are playing loose again, and you can feel the confidence coming back.”

Mattingly said it’s what this group is supposed to look like. That may ultimately become the defining question of this Phillies season: Was April the truth or was it the outlier?

Because the roster still looks dangerous. The payroll still screams contender. And the core players who carried this franchise into October the last several years are still here.

The Phillies don’t suddenly look fixed. They remain under .500 (19-22) after digging themselves such an enormous hole. But a season that looked close to detonating now feels alive again.

As the Phillies head to Boston and Pittsburgh, that matters almost as much as the standings themselves.

Email Christiaan DeFranco at cdefranco@medianewsgroup.com. Follow him on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

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PHILADELPHIA — Eagles rookie minicamp began with the usual mix of nerves, new jerseys and first impressions. But the number on Makai Lemon’s back carried more weight than most.

The Eagles’ first-round pick revealed Thursday that he will wear No. 9 — the same number worn by Super Bowl LII MVP quarterback Nick Foles. Lemon said he reached out to the folk hero before making the decision and got the blessing he needed.

“It meant a lot,” Lemon said of the conversation. “That’s a special number in this city.”

No Eagle has worn No. 9 since Foles left the team after the 2018 season. (Foles officially retired as an Eagle in 2024.) The number became synonymous with Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl championship and the “Philly Special” play that helped defeat the Patriots. Lemon understands the history.

“I know what that number means here,” he said. “I’m going to do everything I can to represent it the right way.”

Lemon wore No. 6 at USC, but that number already belongs to Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith. The rookie wide receiver said the next-closest single-digit option was No. 9 — which he joked “looks like a flipped six.” Before making it official, he wanted to contact Foles out of respect for the franchise legend. The quarterback told him to go for it.

The symbolism stood out on a day otherwise focused on introductions. Lemon, the 20th overall pick in last week’s NFL draft, arrives in Philadelphia with high expectations. The former USC star won the 2025 Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver after catching 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. At 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, he’s known for sharp route running and yards-after-catch ability.

Philadelphia traded up to draft him, signaling a belief he can become a major piece of the offense. Lemon downplayed the pressure.

“I just want to come in, learn the playbook and earn the trust of the guys,” he said. “Everything else will take care of itself.”

Rookie minicamp marks the first on-field introduction for the Eagles’ entire 2026 draft class. Among the players with Lemon were developmental quarterback Cole Payton of North Dakota State, offensive lineman Micah Morris of Georgia, safety Cole Wisniewski of Texas Tech and edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby of New Mexico. The group will spend the weekend installing basic schemes and getting acclimated to the team’s practice tempo.

The Eagles also made early progress with Lemon off the field. The team reportedly signed him to a fully guaranteed four-year rookie contract worth $20.8 million, including an $11.5 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option.

That quick deal removes one potential distraction and lets the rookie focus on football.

Lemon said the first few days in the building have already been a whirlwind.

“You walk in and see everything — the history, the trophies,” he said. “You realize what the standard is here.”

The number on his jersey serves as another reminder.

For years, No. 9 belonged to the quarterback who delivered the Eagles’ signature moment. Now the number returns to the field on a rookie receiver hoping to write the next chapter.

“He set the bar,” Lemon said. “Now it’s my job to go out and work.”

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/4fjs9jud

PHILADELPHIA — Hours after taking over as Phillies interim manager, Don Mattingly was in a familiar spot: at first base next to a bucket of baseballs, helping run pregame infield/outfield practice.

“I’m always in the role that I was in in the past or, you know, before this happened,” he said Tuesday. “I’m the support staff, right?”

“Donnie Baseball” — an iconic former player who was king of New York with the Yankees for most of a decade in the mid-1980s through the early ‘90s — signed on as Phillies bench coach before spring training. He neither expected nor wanted to become the new skipper.

“Dave asked. That’s pretty much it,” Mattingly said of accepting the managerial job, referencing team president Dave Dombrowski, who let Rob Thomson go Tuesday morning. The gig likely won’t extend beyond this season, win or lose, but who knows?

“I came in here not wanting to be in front, knowing how good these guys were and the style of play they had, never feeling comfortable with the lead — things like that,” Mattingly said. “I love Topper.”

Mattingly, whose son Preston is the Phillies’ general manager and Dombrowski’s right-hand man, previously managed the Dodgers and Marlins. Most recently he was bench coach with the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost a classic seven-game World Series to the Dodgers last fall.

He is third in a succession of former Yankees to serve as Phillies manager, starting with Joe Girardi in 2020, then Thomson, who took over in June of 2022.

“I don’t think they’re looking for ex-Yankees, right? We’re trying to win games at this point,” Mattingly said.

But the 65-year-old former first baseman, whose plaque in Yankee Stadium’s vaunted Monument Park sits between Reggie Jackson’s and Ron Guidry’s, said he feels like he has begun to develop a rapport with many players here — even if he’s still getting to know some of them — thanks to his support role.

“While you’re doing that (role), you know, you have conversations with players,” Mattingly said. “I like these guys. … I want to have more conversations.”

During a whirlwind day after Thomson’s firing, Mattingly did address the team as a whole.

“Really what we talked about was us being ourselves and playing good baseball,” he said. “It’s about doing all the little things — getting ahead in counts, being aggressive on the bases, good at-bats up and down the lineup. All those things contribute to wins.

“You feel this coming,” he added after Tuesday night’s 7-0 victory over San Francisco, which saw the Phillies crack 11 hits while Jesús Luzardo tossed seven dazzling innings. “I’ve been around long enough to feel the last game in Chicago (April 23, an 8-7 loss in extras) — the fight. The games in Atlanta (April 24-26), we had a chance to win two out of three there. … This has been coming.

“You know when you have this type of talent, it’s there and it’s coming.”

Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, who played in the World Baseball Classic in March, said he’s still becoming familiar with Mattingly as both a man and a manager.

“I haven’t really been around him too much, just because I was out of spring training” Harper said. “Obviously, the last three weeks I’ve been around him, but just still trying to get to know him as a person and a professional as well.

“He’s one of the best first basemen to ever play the game, played in a tough environment in the Bronx. He’s got a lot of stuff in that head to help us play better and things like that. We’re looking forward to turning the page (after Harper gave considerable deference to Thomson), and hopefully it starts to roll a little bit.”

Almost immediately after the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches last weekend in a Saturday night massacre in Boston, Dombrowski called Cora to try bringing him to the Phillies. The two won a championship together in Boston in 2018 and have a close relationship. But Cora ultimately declined, at least for now, wanting to take some time away with his family.

It was after this series of events that Dombrowski turned to Mattingly, who made third-base coach Dusty Wathan his bench coach and promoted Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Anthony Contreras to fill Wathan’s previous role.

Dombrowski said he never considered replacing any of the coaching staff himself — which seems difficult to fathom — and left it up to Mattingly.

“He was very supportive of the coaching staff. He wanted to keep the coaching staff together,” Dombrowski said.

Mattingly concurred: “I have confidence in everyone in there,” he said.

The Phillies, with a $311 million payroll, entered the homestand against the Giants 28th in the majors in runs (102), 29th in batting average (.219), 29th in on-base percentage (.294), 27th in slugging (.362), last in productive-out percentage (19.4) and tied for 20th in stolen bases (11).

They were also last in starter ERA (5.80), 26th in team WHIP (1.47) and 29th in opponents’ batting average (.280).

The offensive issues have been the most glaring, not only this year but in recent postseasons. Yet hitting coach Kevin Long — with whom many players, including Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, have longstanding relationships — has been immune to staffing changes. He’s another former Yankee, for whom Aaron Judge and Alex Rodriguez have strongly advocated.

“Kevin Long, if you ask around the big leagues, is one of the best hitting coaches in baseball. Has been for a long time,” Mattingly said. “We’ve had multiple issues. It’s not just hitting. We need to play better baseball. Pretty much as simple as that.

“I really like the continuity of the staff, and I want to keep it like that.

“If you truly look in the mirror, this club, with the talent we have, we know we haven’t performed to what we’re capable of. I know how good these guys are, and we just have to go prove that. We can talk about it all we want, and we can put things on paper all we want, but we have to go play.”

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

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The Eagles didn’t just draft for the future. They made a win-now move.

With the trade for Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, Philadelphia addressed an immediate need on defense while using its early picks to reshape the offense.

The 28-year-old Greenard said the opportunity to join a championship contender appealed to him.

“When you walk in the building and see Lombardi Trophies sitting there, you know what the standard is,” Greenard said. “That’s the kind of place you want to be.”

Greenard arrived from the Minnesota Vikings after a complicated offseason there. Minnesota faced a salary-cap crunch and the veteran pass rusher was seeking a clearer long-term situation. The Eagles sent a compensatory third-round pick and a future third-rounder to acquire him, then signed him to a four-year extension worth $100 million with $50 million guaranteed.

Greenard played just 12 games in 2025 because of a shoulder injury, finishing with three sacks after racking up 12 a year earlier and 12.5 with Houston in 2023. But even when he was injured, he said he battled through.

“I still feel like I rushed well,” Greenard said. “I was still getting back there. I feel like my moves didn’t drop off at all. I always tell myself, listen, the day somebody’s got to tell me to get to the quarterback, that’s when I’ll need to hang it up. Outside of that, if my issue is wrapping a guy up, I promise I’ll be in a good spot.”

The Eagles’ broader strategy revealed a desire to give quarterback Jalen Hurts more help in the passing game as Sean Mannion takes over as offensive coordinator.

Philadelphia’s first two selections focused on pass catchers — signaling A.J. Brown’s impending exit — with USC receiver Makai Lemon in the first round and hybrid tight end Eli Stowers in the second.

Both players like to work over the middle — a place Hurts is often hesitant to throw — but it will be part of Mannion’s system, along with more snaps under center, more play action, more motion, and timing routes in which Hurts will have to release the ball quickly.

Lemon and Wicks will join wideout DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert, plus recently added receivers Dontayvion Wicks, who was Green Bay’s No. 3, and Hollywood Brown.

The Eagles also reinforced the offensive line by tapping tackle Markell Bell of Miami in the third round and Georgia guard Micah Morris in the sixth.

So Hurts ostensibly has plenty of support. The challenge is on him now.

Coach Nick Sirianni said the offense is in the early stages of evolving, since offseason workouts only just begun, but he expects it to look different this fall.

“We’re always looking for ways to stress defenses,” he said. “Guys who can move around, play multiple spots and create mismatches are really valuable.”

The strategy reflects an effort to diversify Hurts’ options. While he has thrived attacking the perimeter, his inconsistency when working the middle of the field has been an issue. Players like Lemon and Stowers could help change that by creating easier throwing windows inside.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

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PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles spent the first two days of the NFL draft hunting immediate impact. Day 3 was about something else: upside, depth and long-term development.

Philadelphia wrapped up the draft Saturday by reinforcing the offensive line and adding several late-round defensive projects. But the headliner was the surprising selection of another dual-threat quarterback from North Dakota State — Cole Payton — 10 years after they drafted Carson Wentz as the second overall pick.

The Eagles opted for the 6-foot-3. 232-pound Payton in the fifth round (No. 178 overall). In 13 starts with the Bison last year, he rushed for 777 yds on 136 attempts. He also completed 162 of 225 passes (72%) for 2,719 yds and 16 touchdowns with just one interception.

It was a curious move considering the Eagles still believe in Tanner McKee, 25, who backed up Jalen Hurts last season, and that they recently acquired 38-year-old Andy Dalton.

“We just felt that this was a player that we wanted to take based on the way the board fell,” general manager Howie Roseman said. “When you’re sitting there and a player that you like — regardless of position — is sitting there, you don’t want to pass on him.

“Really, really athletic. Really good with the ball in his hands in the quarterback run game. Made great decisions with the football. Accurate passer. … But there are some wild plays on his tape that are really impressive. I think I charted four times he jumps over somebody or wrote down a bunch of times, ‘He’s the best player on the field.’”

The GM said Payton was the top remaining player on the Eagles’ draft board in that slot, adding he’s not opposed to keeping four QBs on the roster.

“We’re open to carrying four quarterbacks, for sure,” Roseman said. “If you talk about it being the most important position in sports and you have four good ones, why wouldn’t you keep ‘em?”

The 23-year-old Payton — a left-handed thrower — was the 2020 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Westside High School in Omaha. He received interest from Iowa State and University of Nebraska, but neither program offered him a scholarship.

He was a backup in college until 2025. In a Zoom conference with reporters in Philadelphia, he discussed what it was like to wait his turn.

“It was tough,” Payton said. “It wasn’t easy, for sure, being the competitor I am. I just love football. … People asked, why didn’t you transfer? It was because I believed in NDSU — the pro-style offense, the fact that they’ve sent so many guys to the NFL. I felt, looking ahead, that I had one year and I was gonna make the most of that one year.

“I’m just so excited to be an Eagle and get to work and compete and improve and learn and grow.”

Payton, who received scholarship offers to play basketball out of high school, turned heads during the football pre-draft process. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and posted a 40-inch vertical leap — rare numbers for a quarterback his size.

“He’s a really tough football player,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “You see it when he runs, when he finishes runs, when he competes. And obviously he’s got the arm talent and the athleticism that give you a lot to work with.”

O-line depth

The Eagles continued to invest in the trenches by selecting Georgia guard Micah Morris in the sixth round.

At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Morris brings size and versatility after playing both guard positions (and some tackle) for the Bulldogs.

The Eagles have long prioritized building offensive line depth through the draft, and Morris fits that model as a developmental interior lineman who could compete for a backup role early in his career.

International intrigue

An intriguing move came late in the seventh round at No. 251, when the Eagles took Nigerian-born defensive lineman Uar Bernard.

Bernard, 21, has never played organized football but impressed scouts with extraordinary athletic traits during the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.

“We wanted to take a chance on the kid,” Roseman said.

Bernard is 6-4, 306 with just 6% body fat. During the pre-draft process, he displayed a 4.63 40, a 39-inch vertical and a 10-foot-10 broad jump.”

“Obviously, he has a lot of tools in his body,” Roseman said. “We understand it’s going to take time. It’s going to take a lot of time here. But it’s pretty cool. We spend a lot of time talking about ‘unusual,’ and there’s certainly unusual with that guy.”

The Eagles have previously found success with international players, most notably Australian rugby convert Jordan Mailata, who developed into a Pro Bowl left tackle.

“It’s a dream come true for me because I’ve worked hard for this,” Bernard, wrapped in a Nigerian flag, said in a Zoom conference. “I’ve not played football before but I’ve gone through some drills that made me believe I’m going to get better every day. I appreciate God, thank God for everything. Thank God for life, thank God for the opportunity he’s given me to be drafted by the Eagles.”

Answer at safety? More edge help

The Eagles, who chose not to re-sign safety Reed Blankenship, drafted safety Cole Wisniewski (6-4, 220) in the seventh round out of Texas Tech. He’s a physical player who makes lots of plays around the line of scrimmage.

Last season with the Red Raiders — who went 12-2 and reached the Orange Bowl — Wisniewski rang up 78 tackles (38 solo, six TFL), six passes defended, two forced fumbles and a sack. Taken at No. 244, the 24-year-old could be a long shot, but Blankenship was an undrafted free agent four years ago.

The Eagles used their final pick to select New Mexico edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby.

James-Newby led the Lobos with 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2025 and earned attention from scouts for his burst and relentless motor. At 6-1, 240, he’s undersized compared to many NFL edge rushers, but his production and energy could translate into a situational pass-rush role if he performs well in camp.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/3xvnxbhd

PHILADELPHIA — Howie Roseman struck again.

The Eagles general manager traded for Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings in a splashy move Friday night, Day 2 of the NFL draft.

Philadelphia sent its compensatory third-round pick (No. 98 overall) and a 2027 third-rounder to Minnesota for Greenard and a Saturday seventh-rounder (No. 244).

The Eagles also inked the 28-year-old Greenard — who was already in Philadelphia — to a four-year, $100 million extension that includes $50 million guaranteed.

The deal overshadowed the Birds’ second-round selection of Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers — an explosive and versatile player who can cause havoc for defenses. They later took offensive tackle Markel Bell from the University of Miami.

Greenard fills a need after the departure of Jaelen Phillips and immediately bolsters a defensive front that remains a foundation of the team’s roster construction.

“What you see is a relentless player with physical tools, Roseman said. “He can win in multiple ways. He is hard to block. I know when we play Minnesota, we are worried about where he is at all times.”

“We just felt like we had a really good D-line but we wanted to elevate it to another level.

Greenard has been one of the league’s more disruptive pass rushers when healthy. He recorded back-to-back double-digit sack seasons with the Houston Texans in 2023 and the Vikings in 2024 before an injury-shortened 2025 season. Over the past two full seasons he totaled 24.5 sacks, showing the kind of consistent pressure the Eagles covet along the edge.

For Roseman, the opportunity to add a proven veteran during the draft — rather than simply relying on rookie development — was too good to pass up.

“I think when you’re talking about improving your team, you’re always looking at all avenues,” Roseman said. “For us, this was a chance to add a really good football player who fits how we want to play.”

The trade continued Roseman’s long-standing philosophy of building through the trenches. The Eagles have invested heavily in their defensive front in recent years, rotating waves of pass rushers in an effort to keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

“This guy plays the game the way you want it played,” coach Sirianni said. “Relentless effort, toughness, the ability to affect the quarterback. When you add players like that to your defensive line, it raises the level of the entire defense.”

After undergoing a physical and finalizing his contract, Greenard attended the Sixers playoff game against the Celtics with Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro. Before the game, the Birds’ first-round pick, Makai Lemon, rang the bell in front of a raucous crowd.

While the Greenard deal received most of the spotlight, Roseman and the Eagles feel good about the additions of Stowers and Bell.

New tight end

Philadelphia selected Stowers with the 54th overall pick in the second round. The 6-foot-4, 239-pound Stowers, 23, is a former quarterback who converted to tight end and developed into one of the SEC’s most effective offensive weapons.

He was named All-SEC the past two seasons after emerging as a matchup problem for defenses. Last year he won the John Mackey Award for college football’s most outstanding tight end.

In 12 games last season at Vanderbilt (10-3), Stowers caught 62 passes for 769 yards and four touchdowns. He brings a hybrid blend — part tight end, part split-out receiver — and is a natural successor to Dallas Goedert, who’s on a one-year contract.

In the meantime, the Eagles can run a variety of two-tight end sets in Sean Mannion’s incarnation of the West Coast offense, which will challenge Jalen Hurts to operate under center and throw over the middle more often.

Stowers — who has 4.51 speed and an incredible 45.5-inch vertical — succeeds against both man-to-man and zone coverage.

“We just felt like he brings a really unique skill set to our offense,” Roseman said. “He’s a big target, he’s athletic, and he’s a competitive player. Those are things we value.”

A mammoth tackle

In the third round at No. 68 overall, the Eagles took Bell — listed at 6-foot-9, 346 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. He exclusively played left tackle for the Hurricanes, but Roseman and the Eagles see him as an ascending player with versatile potential.

In the short term, Bell provides immediate depth. He’ll learn behind Lane Johnson — who might retire after this season — and Jordan Mailata.

“Markel Bell was a passion player for us throughout the process,” Roseman said. “Obviously, unusual size, unusual length, hard to find. But really when you watch the tape, he is hard to get around in pass pro. He had zero quarterback sacks allowed this year playing for the University of Miami.”

In 558 pass-protection snaps in 2025, Bell didn’t allow a sack as the Hurricanes went all the way to the national title game against Indiana.

“Offensive line is always going to be a priority for us,” Sirianni said. “You can’t have enough good linemen, and we think Markel has a chance to grow into a really good player.”

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/bd3vrfwx

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles, in a surprising deal with the archrival Dallas Cowboys, traded up from No. 23 to select All-American wide receiver Makai Lemon out of Southern California at No. 20 in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night.

By selecting Lemon with their first pick, the Eagles all but confirmed their expected plans to part ways with A.J. Brown, who has repeatedly expressed frustration with the offense.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top college receiver last season, hauling in 79 passes for 1,156 yards — the most yards in the Power Four conferences. He caught 11 touchdowns for the Trojans (9-3) last year.

The move was another Philly win over Pittsburgh this week. After the Flyers went up 3-0 on the Penguins in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Eagles swooped in and scooped Lemon away from the Steelers, who were expecting to take him at No. 21.

He was on the phone with Pittsburgh when the Eagles drafted him after trading up with just a few minutes left on the clock at No. 20.

“I answered my phone and it was the Steelers, and then my phone kept ringing and it’s the Eagles,” Lemon said during a videoconference with reporters in Philadelphia. “They traded up and they were going to pick me. I feel like everything happened for a reason. It means a lot that they really wanted me. I’m all-in, and they’re gonna get all that I got.

“I was definitely shocked, but I couldn’t be more happy, so I’m super-blessed. It was the right time and the right team. Everything worked out just how it’s supposed to be.”

Despite his relative lack of size and the fact he mostly played in the slot at USC, Lemon has proven to be well-built and durable. He ran a 4.53 40 at the NFL combine, where the Eagles first met with him.

They later brought him in for a “Top 30” visit at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. (Teams are permitted to invite up to 30 players to their facility before the draft.) He played some basketball with coach Nick Sirianni.

“It was great vibes, genuine vibes,” Lemon said, smiling. “Everybody was loving. I definitely did shoot some hoops. I let the coach win, you know, I’ll say that. … I gotta get a rematch. I ain’t gonna let him win next time.”

The Birds’ biggest needs entering the draft were on defense, but Lemon was high on their draft board. General manager Howie Roseman saw an opportunity to grab him.

“We just felt that this was a player we wanted to go up and get,” Roseman said. “It just felt like it made a lot of sense based on our board. Obviously, when you have a player that you like who is ranked higher on your board than where you’re picking, you think every pick he’s going to be selected. That’s just the way the draft is. You think everybody is picking the way you are.

“Certainly for us, we didn’t want to sit on our hands. We wanted to go and get him, so that’s why I made the trade.”

The Eagles dealt their first-round pick and both of their fourth-round picks (No. 114 and No. 137) to Dallas. Entering Day 2 of the three-day draft — which is being held in Pittsburgh, though teams make their selections from their respective headquarters — the Eagles now have the 54th overall pick (second round), the 68th and 98th picks (third round), 178th (fifth round) and 197th (sixth round).

“There’s a lot to like about him,” Roseman said. “Competitive. He has the ability to separate in man coverage. In the slot. Can play outside. Physical player. Really good with the ball in his hands. Really good hands. Good in zone coverage. Has really good instincts.”

The sure-handed Lemon, 21, was targeted 130 times last season and had only two drops. He has a knack for finding open space and aggressively creating yards after the catch. He also has no aversion to mixing it up with defenders as a blocker.

“I love his toughness,” Sirianni said. “I think this guy’s a tough, tough football player with the way he carries the football, when he has the football in his hands, and how he blocks. Insanely competitive, so there’s a lot to like. Really excited that he’s added to our roster.”

Lemon’s production steadily grew in college. He didn’t see the field much as a freshman, but played in 12 games as a sophomore, starting six, in which he had 52 catches for 764 yards and three TDs before his breakout 2025 season as a junior.

He was ranked among the top three wide receivers by all analysts at ESPN, Fox, NFL.com, Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Focus, frequently slotting at No. 1.

“(Fans) are gonna get someone who wants to come in and compete at a high level,” said Lemon, a native of Orange County, Calif. “A dog, somebody that’s just gonna do anything the organization needs me to do — at a high level — playing for my teammates and leading by example.”

This was the second time in six years that the Eagles traded with Dallas in the first round of the draft. In 2021, they moved up from No. 12 to No. 10 to take wideout DeVonta Smith.

“Man, the organization, it’s a winning program,” Lemon said of the Eagles. “Great guys on the team that I can learn from, great vets, especially Smitty (DeVonta Smith) and (Jalen) Hurts, and a great defense. So I’m pumped to come in and add what I can do as a player. They’re gonna get everything that I’ve got.”

The Eagles enter Day 2 of the draft with a need for reinforcements on the offensive line, edge rusher, cornerback and safety.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/mpd4nk7e

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are built to win now, which makes their draft philosophy all the more interesting.

Even with an experienced roster, they’re one of the younger teams in the league, particularly on defense. And defense is where most of their current needs are.

But general manager Howie Roseman still approaches the draft with a longer view — trusting his board, prioritizing premium positions and often drafting for what the team might need two or three years down the road.

That tension is what makes Roseman’s draft philosophy worth studying. Even with a roster capable of contending, the GM rarely talks about the draft like a one-weekend repair job. He talks about tiers, value and projection — about what a player might become, not just what hole he might fill in September.

“I think the biggest mistake we can make is assuming we know what the team’s going to look like a year from now, two years from now, and missing out on a player because we have a perceived need,” Roseman said.

That is the theory. The Eagles’ recent draft history offers the fuller picture.

Roseman does not ignore need so much as filter it through a broader lens. He has repeatedly invested in premium positions, especially along the lines and in the secondary, while also planning a step ahead. The Eagles drafted Cam Jurgens in 2022 while Jason Kelce was still in place. Two years ago, they doubled up in the defensive backfield with Quinyon Mitchell in the first round and Cooper DeJean in the second, giving the defense a younger, faster backbone.

In other words, the Eagles don’t draft like a team chasing one last run. They draft like a contender trying to keep its window open.

Roseman said projection is central to that.

“A lot of times in the draft we’ll talk about what could this player be in year three,” he said. “To come in and expect 21-, 22-, 23-year-old players to be the best version of themselves — it’s probably a little naive.”

Nick Sirianni sees the other side of that equation. Once the Eagles make the pick, the burden shifts to the coaches.

“Our job is to develop them, put them in the right positions to succeed, help them get better fundamentally, help them learn the game better,” Sirianni said.

He also made clear what the Eagles are hunting for before the card is turned in.

“A guy that loves football, a guy who is tough and a guy who has a high football IQ — God willing, he’s going to reach his ceiling,” Sirianni said.

That combined philosophy frames the Eagles’ approach entering Thursday night, when they hold the No. 23 overall pick in the NFL draft (and seven other picks in rounds two through six on Friday and Saturday).

Even with Roseman’s best-player-available mindset, four positions stand out as the most logical places to look.

Edge rusher

This remains classic Eagles territory. Roseman has long treated pass rush as a premium investment, and the roster always seems to have room for one more disruptive front-seven piece. That is especially true for a team that prefers to roll waves of defensive linemen rather than lean too heavily on one or two stars.

Among the top edge prospects in this class are Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Miami’s Akheem Mesidor.

Auburn’s Keldric Faulk and Clemson’s T.J. Parker are also highly regarded. Some of those names will be gone well before No. 23, but the position’s depth should keep edge in play for Philadelphia.

Right tackle

Lane Johnson, who turns 36 next month, is still playing at a high level when healthy, but the Eagles have shown before that they would rather draft a successor a year early than a year late.

Roseman all but said as much when discussing how the team has handled succession plans up front.

“It’s so hard to find elite players at any position that you certainly wouldn’t want to turn down the opportunity at an important position,” he said.

This year’s tackle class gives the Eagles options if they want to think ahead. Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Utah’s Spencer Fano, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor headline the group.

Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor and Clemson’s Blake Miller are also among the better tackle prospects. If Roseman wants a player who could learn behind Johnson before eventually taking the job, this draft offers that sort of pathway.

Cornerback

The second outside corner spot remains an issue — dating back to last summer. The recent signings of Riq Woolen and Jonathan Jones don’t necessarily solve the problem. And corner remains one of the league’s hardest spots to fill (especially for a decent price).

This year’s class is strong at the top. LSU’s Mansoor Delane, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, San Diego State’s Chris Johnson and Tennessee’s Colton Hood are among the highest ranked corners.

Clemson’s Avieon Terrell and South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse are also part of a deep group, with Washington’s Tacario Davis and Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun among the other notable names.

Safety

Safety is a clear need after letting Reed Blankenship walk. The team re-signed Marcus Epps as insurance and hopes Andrew Mukuba will return from injury and develop, but Roseman acknowledged the position is unsettled.

“When we go to camp, we’re definitely not full at the safety position,” he said. “We’ll add players there just like we’ll add players at other positions.”

That makes this one of the more direct matches between Roseman’s public comments and the roster. If the Eagles attack the spot early or in the middle rounds, there will be no mystery why.

Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is widely viewed as the best safety in the class and one of the premier defenders in the draft. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren also sit near the top of the group.

After that come players such as Pitt’s Kyle Louis, LSU’s A.J. Haulcy, Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley and USC’s Kamari Ramsey. It is a position with both top-end talent and useful depth.

A.J. Brown is likely gone

It isn’t news that A.J. Brown will probably be traded after June 1 (most likely to the New England Patriots). Waiting until June cuts the Eagles’ cap hit by $10 million. National insiders expect a future first-round pick to be included in return.

When Roseman was asked directly, again, about Brown’s future here, his response last week was telling:

“What do you think the odds are that I’m answering this question any differently than I’ve answered anywhere else?” he said. “Like, really? Do you think that’s 50 percent? Do you think that’s 75 percent? … A.J. Brown is an Eagle.”

Would Roseman answer the same way about Jalen Hurts or Saquon Barkley?

The Eagles may draft a receiver, but it would be surprising if they spend a high pick on one unless a prospect they highly value falls within reach. They’ve already added Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason to position themselves for an A.J. Brown departure.

Plus they have DeVonta Smith and they re-signed receiving tight end Dallas Goedert to another year. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq would make an immediate impact this season and replace Goedert in the future, but he may be scooped up before the Eagles get a chance to draft him.

The QB question

The Eagles don’t need a quarterback. Hurts is their starter, their leader and the face of the offense.

But because this is Roseman, the question never fully dies.

His history says not to dismiss the possibility out of hand. The clearest example, of course, came in 2020, when the Eagles drafted Hurts in the second round while Carson Wentz was the entrenched starter. Roseman has spent years arguing that strong depth charts should not keep a team from taking a player it truly believes in.

“If there’s a player available at a position that we’re strong at right now and we think he’s going to be an elite player in the NFL, we’re going to take that player,” Roseman said.

That does not make drafting a quarterback likely. It just makes it very Howie.

EAGLES 2026 PICKS (Entering Day 1):

Rd 1 No. 23

Rd 2 No. 54

Rd 3 No. 68 From New York Jets (Haason Reddick deal)

Rd 3 No. 98 Compensatory pick

Rd 4 No. 114 From Atlanta Falcons (Sydney Brown deal)

Rd 4 No. 137 Compensatory pick

Rd 5 No. 178 Compensatory pick

Rd 6 No. 197 From Falcons (Also Sydney Brown deal)

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/59kz9w8f

PHILADELPHIA — As Yogi Berra said, it’s getting late early.

The Major League Baseball season is only in its fourth week and roughly 141 games remain, but the Phillies entered their series finale against Atlanta having lost eight of their last 10 games.

With Saturday night’s defeat, they’ve dropped four straight series. They’re hovering near the bottom of the division, just above the melting-down Mets, while the first-place Braves look like the real deal.

Last year, it was the Braves who stumbled out of the gate (5-13) and they never fully recovered. As the Phillies embark on a seven-game road trip, the “it’s still early” rationalization is rapidly wearing thin.

“We’ve just got to play better baseball,” manager Rob Thomson said. “It’s about executing — throwing strikes, getting timely hits, doing the little things. … That’s the game.

“You’ve just got to keep grinding, stick with the process.”

Right-hander Taijuan Walker has had a disastrous start to the season (1-3, 9.16 ERA, 2.036 WHIP), and lefty Jesús Luzardo (1-3, 7.94, 1.456) has had his share of struggles. But Luzardo has a history of steering back on track. And if everything runs smoothly, veteran ace Zack Wheeler will return from rehab this week and Walker will be out of the rotation — though Walker is currently slated for one more start.

Relievers Jhoan Duran, Jonathan Bowlan and Zach Pop are on the injured list, so it’s extra important that Brad Keller, Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering step up in the bullpen. The bigger concern has been the offense — not just the lack of hits, but the way many at-bats have unfolded.

Too often, the Phillies have looked impatient early in counts and vulnerable once they fall behind. The lineup has chased pitches far out of the zone, struggled to string together quality plate appearances and tried to win at-bats with one swing.

Even when they seem to break out of it, like in last Monday’s 13-7 victory over the Cubs, they revert to old habits.

The Phillies’ early-season struggles against left-handed pitching have been well-documented. They’re batting just .176 against lefties, among the worst marks in the majors. Their production against southpaws has cratered to roughly a .510 OPS.

Last year, Philadelphia was solid in those matchups, hitting .252 with a .745 OPS against lefties — good enough to rank among the better teams in the league.

The issues at the plate have also shown up in the strikeout column. Entering the series finale against Atlanta, the Phillies had 175 punchouts — the third-most in the majors. They strike out approximately 23% of the time, failing to put pressure on opposing defenses.

Until the lineup shows more discipline and a willingness to grind through plate appearances — especially against left-handed pitching — the offense may continue to sputter, regardless of talent.

“It’s a long season,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has been dealing with lower back soreness. “But you don’t want to dig yourself a hole early. We’ve got to clean up some things and start playing the way we know we can.”

Why not run?

Instead of a feast-or-famine approach on offense, the Phillies could employ some small ball to manufacture runs and provide a spark. For a roster loaded with speed, the Phillies haven’t used it.

Entering the series finale against Atlanta, the Phils had stolen just 10 bases on 13 attempts, ranking 26th in the majors. Several clubs have already topped 25–30 steals this April as they continue to exploit the larger bases and pickoff limits.

That makes the Phillies’ inactivity stand out. Trea Turner, one of baseball’s premier base stealers when he wants to be, and rookie Justin Crawford — who swiped 60 bases in the minors last year — give the lineup two obvious running threats. Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott and even Bryce Harper could also run more.

But the Phils have rarely tested opposing batteries

The Phillies ran a fair amount last year, so they aren’t opposed to it philosophically. They weren’t a high-volume running team, finishing 12th in the majors with 124 steals, but they were efficient, converting more than 80% of their attempts. Turner’s 36 steals led the club, with Bryson Stott adding 24.

Right now, they’re on pace for 65% of that team total.

Sosa’s difficult week

Edmundo Sosa’s big moment early last week didn’t carry over in the ensuing days.

Sosa crushed a three-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the Phillies’ loss to the Cubs last Tuesday, briefly reigniting talk about giving the versatile infielder more starts.

Since that performance, Sosa struggled to find consistency at the plate while filling in as a starter at third and second, and his fielding miscue opened the door to three unearned runs in Saturday’s loss. A night earlier, he was waving at pitches 6-10 inches out of the zone.

Last Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, Sosa went 2-for-11 with four strikeouts and stranded three runners in scoring position.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/4ebhvpnn

PHILADELPHIA — According to Jerry Seinfeld, “People like to say salsa.”

Around here, people like to say Sosa.

Edmundo Sosa delivered again Tuesday night, much to the delight of Phillies fans.

The Phillies lost to the Chicago Cubs in the second installment of their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park, but Sosa injected life into the lineup — the kind of spark he often seems to provide when he starts.

“I just keep working every day on the things I have to do,” Sosa said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “During the days I didn’t play, I kept working on anything that we needed. Always ready, always focused. We have a plan when we go out to work.”

Sosa crushed a three-run homer to center field — 442 feet, just left of the shrubbery and onto Ashburn Alley — in the second inning to put the Phils and right-hander Aaron Nola up 3-0, waving a hand in the air as he rounded the bases.

He lined a double into the left-field corner to lead off a rally in the eighth, later coming home to help account for all four Phillies runs in the 10–4 defeat.

After that double, he made a questionable decision to take third on a Justin Crawford flyout to center, but replay confirmed he slipped the tag. It was an exhilarating moment.

And he played a virtually flawless third base in place of Alec Bohm.

If salsa is an underrated condiment that should be on every restaurant table, Sosa is an underrated player who should — perhaps — play every day.

Such a flavor jolt is hard to come by.

Manager Rob Thomson wanted to give Bohm a breather Tuesday and get Sosa some consistent at-bats. It was his first start in a week.

The effort was vintage Sosa and again raised the question: Is there a way to get this super-utility man into the lineup more often?

The manager bobbed his head sideways — considering all the stats and analytics and previous forays down that road. Right now, he won’t commit to more than a day or so.

“If he keeps performing, we’ve got to find a way to get him in,” Thomson said. “He’s gonna play (Wednesday) against a lefty.”

Sosa is a natural athlete. He has played a ton of shortstop in his career, particularly with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since arriving here in 2022, he mainly fills in at third for Bohm and at second for Bryson Stott, both of whom have been scuffling at the plate this year. (Once in a blue moon, the Phillies have experimented with Sosa in left field.)

After nights like Tuesday, the debate gets louder about whether he should be the full-time starter at third base.

Sosa, 30, is only five months older than Bohm. Both of their contracts are up at the end of the season. Bohm, a homegrown Phillies product, is making $7.7 million this year. Sosa is making $3 million.

Asked if salary plays a role in who gets more playing time, Thomson was unequivocal.

“No, never,” he said. “Not the salary, no. Never. It’s all about performance. … Performance is everything.”

Bohm hasn’t exactly won the hearts and minds of Phillies fans lately. The team has been open to moving him the last two offseasons but didn’t receive enough of a bite. He’s slashing .155/.231/.224 this April, though he’s had some better at-bats recently.

Speaking of that eighth-inning rally Sosa started, it could have been much more. Thomson sent Bohm up to pinch hit for the red-hot Brandon Marsh against Cubs lefty Caleb Thielbar. The bases were loaded and the Phils were down by four. He struck out.

A smattering of boos surfaced among the fans still remaining, and a stream toward the exits ensued.

Bohm plays nearly every day. Sosa fills in, often against left-handed pitching or when the Phillies want a defensive boost late in games. Offensively, the difference starts with consistency.

Since both players arrived in Philadelphia in 2022, Bohm has been productive against both sides of pitching. During that span he has hit roughly .301/.349/.446 against left-handers and .269/.317/.404 against right-handers, numbers that make him playable every day.

Sosa’s splits tell a different story.

Against left-handed pitching he has been excellent, hitting about .292/.335/.455 since joining the Phillies. Against right-handers the production falls to roughly .236/.285/.364.

That gap can’t be ignored. It’s why Sosa is often in the lineup when a lefty starts but not when a right-hander takes the mound. A bench player who mashes one type of pitching is still incredibly useful. It just doesn’t always translate to everyday value.

Manager Rob Thomson appreciates the flexibility.

“He’s ready every day,” Thomson said. “Whenever you put him in there, he gives you good at-bats and plays good defense.”

Sosa said he embraces the role.

“I just try to help the team,” he said. “If they need me to start, I start. If they need defense late, I do that.”

Defense keeps the debate alive

Where Sosa really strengthens the argument to play every day is in the field. He is the quicker athlete and the better range defender at third base. His first step and lateral movement allow him to reach balls deep in the hole that many third basemen cannot get to.

Bohm, though, has gradually improved. After struggling early in his career, he has settled into something close to league-average defense at third base over the past couple seasons. He handles routine plays more consistently and charges slow rollers with confidence.

That improvement shrinks the defensive gap enough that Bohm’s more complete offensive profile still carries the day.

In other words: Sosa might be the flashier defender, but Bohm still provides the more stable everyday package.

The Stott comparison

If Sosa has another path to more starts, it might be at second base. That’s where he filled in Wednesday night, going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Stott, who’s struggling so far this year, has been the Phillies’ regular at second since 2022. Like Bohm, he produces against both sides of pitching — .248/.301/.344 against lefties and .277/.339/.415 versus righties.

Sosa’s slash is decidedly better against left-handers than Stott’s. The Phillies have leaned into that dynamic at times, with Sosa getting spot starts at second. In 2023, he produced a 146 wRC+ against southpaws, hitting .318/.362/.533 in those situations.

Defensively, Stott is excellent (despite being tagged with an error on Tuesday). Statcast metrics have consistently rated him among the better defensive second basemen in the league. In 2023, he recorded eight Outs Above Average, ranking in the 94th percentile. But Sosa is still a plus defender at second base.

It’s Stott’s combination of solid offense against right-handers, passable production against lefties, speed and strong defense that maintains him as the everyday option. At least for now.

The right role

What Sosa does best might be exactly what he did Tuesday.

He jumps into the lineup, creates energy and forces the other team to work. He can play third, second or shortstop and often improves the defense when he enters late.

And when the matchup favors him — especially against left-handed pitching — he can be more than a role player. But over a full season, the broader offensive profiles of Bohm and Stott still matter.

That is why the Phillies keep Sosa exactly where he is: one of the most useful bench players in the National League.

And one of the most reliable sparks when the lineup needs one.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/2feay6hd

PHILADELPHIA — The question was inevitable.

With the NFL draft a week away and the Eagles trying to rebound from a frustrating season, general manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni met with the media Tuesday, April 14. The conversation eventually turned to quarterback Jalen Hurts and the reports suggesting tension between the star quarterback and the organization.

Roseman did not hesitate.

“If we have any issue with any of our players, we talk to them directly,” he said. “From my perspective, from Nick’s perspective, from Jeffrey’s perspective (owner Jeffrey Lurie), we’re not hiding behind anything. We talk to our players directly.”

The GM went a step further, criticizing the reports about Hurts.

“I think that it’s unfair,” Roseman said. “It’s unfair to have these articles written, but I understand it’s also what sells at this point. Yeah, I think it’s unfortunate.”

The remarks came amid heightened scrutiny of Hurts following a disappointing 2025 campaign for the Eagles offense. A widely circulated report from ESPN earlier this month suggested there had been internal frustration with Hurts and his role in the offense, including questions about how willing he has been to adjust to coaching changes and schematic tweaks. It echoed midseason reports questioning his coachability.

Roseman’s message Tuesday was clear: If there are concerns, they are addressed privately.

“We will talk to our players directly,” he said. “That’s the relationship we have with our guys.”

Sirianni shared that sentiment, emphasizing Hurts’ importance to the franchise and his role as a leader in the locker room.

“We have a lot of confidence in Jalen,” Sirianni said. “He’s done a lot of special things for this team and for this city. We’re excited about continuing to build with him.”

Hurts, 27, remains one of the central figures in franchise history. The former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback has led the Eagles to multiple deep playoff runs, including a pair of Super Bowls, and delivered a Super Bowl championship in 2024 during one of the most successful stretches in team history.

But the 2025 season proved turbulent, in some ways reminiscent of a late-season collapse two years earlier. Philadelphia’s offense never fully found its rhythm and the Eagles were eliminated in the playoffs in the first round.

After the season ended, the team dismissed offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and hired Sean Mannion. Vaunted O-line coach Jeff Stoutland chose to leave. Most of the offensive staff is new.

Roseman insisted Tuesday that the organization’s approach with Hurts — and any player — has not changed.

“There’s a lot that goes on in a season,” Roseman said. “But when there’s something that needs to be addressed, we address it face-to-face.”

For the Eagles, the focus now shifts to the next step in building around their quarterback: the draft.

Draft focus and roster building

Most of the news conference centered on the upcoming NFL draft — April 23-25 in Pittsburgh — and the Eagles’ ongoing effort to reshape their roster after a disappointing finish. Roseman described the organization’s approach as one centered on flexibility.

“You’re always trying to add competition,” he said. “You’re always trying to add talent. That’s the goal every offseason.”

The Birds have been aggressive in recent years, often using trades and creative roster moves to stay competitive while managing the salary cap. Roseman said that philosophy has not changed.

“We’re always going to listen,” he said. “Our job is to do everything we can to make this team better.”

Sirianni said the coaching staff has spent the spring evaluating players who could help improve depth across the roster.

“We’re excited about this class,” Sirianni said. “There are a lot of good players in it.”

The Eagles enter the draft with several needs, particularly on offense after last season’s struggles. Improving the passing game and adding weapons around Hurts remain priorities.

“We’re always looking to add playmakers,” Roseman said, adding that he remains open to making moves during the draft.

A.J. Brown speculation lingers

Star receiver A.J. Brown remains one of the most talented players on the roster, but his name has continued to surface in offseason rumors after a year that included public frustration about the offense.

Brown finished the 2025 season with 1,003 receiving yards — his fourth straight 1,000-yard campaign — but the number represented one of the lower totals of his career.

Roseman did not address specific trade scenarios Tuesday, but his broader message was consistent with past comments: Elite players are hard to replace.

“It’s hard to find great players in this league,” Roseman said in prior remarks about Brown. “A.J.’s a great player.”

For now, the Eagles are publicly touting Brown as a key piece of the offense and a central figure in their effort to bounce back in 2026. If they do trade him, it likely wouldn’t be until after June 1, when the cap hit would be easier to absorb.

In the meantime, they’ve been adding wide receiver depth this offseason — perhaps positioning themselves for dealing Brown. They’ve brought in Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Dontayvion Wicks.

Offseason outlook

Despite last season’s uneven finish, both Roseman and Sirianni expressed confidence that the team can quickly return to contention.

“We’ve got a lot of good players,” Roseman said. “Our job is to keep building and keep improving.”

For now, though, the story of the Eagles’ offseason continues to revolve around the quarterback. If Roseman’s message Tuesday was any indication, the organization believes Hurts remains firmly at the center of its future.

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Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/bdz739jv

PHILADELPHIA — As Rob Thomson settled into his usual spot in the dugout for his pregame media session Monday, he glanced around.

“Seems like there’s a few less of you than normal,” the Phillies manager said.

One reporter pointed out that there was a big hockey game across the street, where the Flyers were getting ready to face Carolina with the playoffs on the line.

“Yeah, that is a big one,” said the Canadian-born Thomson, a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan from southwestern Ontario, shaking his head in agreement.

The assembled media and 36,045 fans in attendance at Citizens Bank Park — many keeping one eye on the Flyers game — witnessed the Phillies’ offense finally erupt like they’d been waiting for this season. As the Flyers rallied to clinch their first playoff berth in six years, the Phils drilled 15 hits and scored in six different innings during a 13-7 romp over the Chicago Cubs.

Everyone in the starting lineup had a hit except for rookie Justin Crawford, whose bat has been a bright spot this year (.306/.370/.429).

For the better part of a week, and really since opening day, the Phillies had looked tight. Every at-bat seemed rushed, every swing urgent. They had scored in just three of the last 46 innings.

The tension finally broke Monday night. The Phillies’ lineup relaxed and spread the ball to all fields. Kyle Schwarber homered twice, J.T. Realmuto had three hits and three RBIs, Brandon Marsh added three hits, and Adolis Garcia — moved to the cleanup spot — went 2-for-4 with an RBI double as the offense exploded.

Even in a loss to Arizona a day earlier, some guys were starting to show signs of life. Like Trea Turner, who was a combined 3-for-8 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored Sunday and Monday.

The difference, Thomson said, was simple: “It’s guys not trying to do too much.”

“It think they needed it, just to kind of breath a little bit,“ he said. “It was a good night all around. … But it’s just one day. We’ve got another one tomorrow. You’ve got to come back with the same focus. You can’t feel like, ‘Well, we’re back.’ You’ve got to keep working and fighting and grinding.”

The Phillies stopped trying to win every at-bat with one swing. For a club built on power and patience, the best approach was a quieter one: Let the game come to you and trust the next guy.

Bryce Harper knocked a hit the opposite way and scored twice. Alec Bohm, down in the lineup to take some pressure off, singled and drove in a pair of runs.

“He had good at-bats,” Thomson said of Bohm. “He looked better.”

The tone for the evening was set immediately. Schwarber led off the bottom of the first inning by driving an 0-1 changeup from Cubs starter Javier Assad over the wall in center field. Two innings later he went deep again, a two-run blast that made it 4-0 and ignited the ballpark.

But the Phillies’ night was less about a single swing than a series of them.

They strung together hits, moved runners and kept innings alive. A five-run fifth inning broke the game open, highlighted by a Marsh double and RBI hits from Bryson Stott and Realmuto.

By the time the dust settled, the Phillies were 8-for-14 with runners in scoring position. It was the type of offense that had been missing during a recent skid.

The Phillies’ approach didn’t appear overnight.

Before the series finale against Arizona on Sunday, Turner spoke about resisting the urge to press when the lineup goes cold. The key, he said, is remembering that nine hitters share the workload.

“You can’t try to do too much,” Turner said, as Thomson reflected. “Just take your at-bat, trust the guys behind you and let the lineup work.”

That message echoed through Monday’s series opener against the Cubs.

Turner scored twice and helped spark the offense from the top of the order. Realmuto kept rallies alive in the middle. Marsh delivered multiple clutch hits. Even productive outs — like Bohm’s sacrifice fly in the fifth — added to the pressure on Chicago’s pitching staff.

Schwarber said the lineup works best when it stays connected.

“When everyone just passes it along, that’s when we’re tough,” he said after the victory. “You don’t feel like you have to be the guy every time.”

It showed in the way the Phillies attacked Assad. Rather than chasing early-count pitches, they forced the Cubs right-hander into the zone and punished mistakes.

Assad lasted only 4 1/3 frames and allowed nine runs on 11 hits.

Schwarber’s two home runs grabbed the headlines, but even he described them as the byproduct of a calmer approach. He has spent most of his career embracing patience — deep counts, selective swings, and letting pitchers make mistakes.

Monday’s swings were classic Schwarber: quick, direct and driven by timing rather than force.

“Sometimes when you’re trying too hard, everything speeds up,” he said. “When you slow it down and just take a good swing, the ball tends to find the barrel.”

Both homers were to center field, a sign he was staying through the ball instead of trying to yank it into the right-field seats.

The Phillies have seen enough Aprils to know that one big offensive night doesn’t fix everything. Still, if the lineup keeps Monday’s approach in mind — less pressing, more trusting — the results could follow.

NOTES: RHP Jonathan Bowlan went on the 15-day IL with a right groin straight. To replace him on the 26-man roster, the Phillies called up RHP Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He gave up five runs — three earned — on four hits and two walks with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings Monday. Johnson was sent back down Tuesday and the team recalled RHP Chase Shugart. … Schwarber’s two bombs gave him six on the season. It was the 37th multi-homer game of his career, his first this season and first since Sept. 24, 2025, against Miami.

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Members of the Eagles have yet to respond to a bombshell report from ESPN’s Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler detailing last season’s dysfunction — specifically the team’s frustration with quarterback Jalen Hurts — that dropped Wednesday as the annual league meetings were breaking up in Phoenix.

The exposé mirrored midseason reports by The Athletic and NFL broadcaster Derrick Gunn questioning Hurts’ coachability and willingness to follow the offense as designed, a pattern that bothered several teammates and was the source of receiver A.J. Brown’s exasperation.

General manager Howie Roseman, coach Nick Sirianni and owner Jeffrey Lurie had already spoken with the media in Arizona before ESPN released its article, but Lurie praised Hurts on Tuesday.

“There’s no bigger fan of Jalen than me,” Lurie said. “Clutch gene, absolutely. ... Exceptional and so dedicated. I mean, I think you probably know I spend a lot of time with Jalen, as I do with most quarterbacks. Incredibly dedicated to the game, to winning and being a huge winner. I love everything about him.”

Hurts was the Super Bowl MVP in 2024 and outplayed Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes two years earlier in a Super Bowl loss. His accomplishments are undeniable. But the team wants to see him evolve as a player. That includes operating from under center, where play action has been more effective, and incorporating more sophisticated concepts such as motion, shifts and pinpoint timing routes that reflect today’s incarnation of the West Coast offense.

The Eagles ran play-action passes just 15% of the time last year, which ranked 22nd in the league, despite having a threat like Saquon Barkley in the backfield. Hurts also reportedly changed many plays to simpler, predictable concepts — such as on a failed fourth down late in the wild-card loss to San Francisco — and often held the ball too long and avoided throws over the middle.

The ESPN report comes as the Eagles weigh a contract extension for the quarterback and a possible trade of Brown this offseason.

Part of the problem is that Hurts has had a different offensive coordinator every year. Even when he does develop rapport with a play-caller, that coach has been gone the following season, making continuity impossible. So Hurts himself has become frustrated, distrustful and resistant to new ideas.

But the Eagles don’t seem to see the contradiction in having a revolving door of OCs.

“As much as you’d like to have continuity and would like to have guys here for a long period of time, we want to win. We have an urgency to win right now. If that comes with the ramifications that we lose good people because they’ve earned head coaching jobs, we’ll live with that,” Roseman said at the end-of-season news conference in January.

Sirianni said Monday he has maintained offseason communication with Hurts but emphasized balance.

“You want guys to get away from football a little bit,” he said. “Recharge.”

The latest play-caller is Sean Mannion, a former quarterback who was Jordan Love’s QB coach in Green Bay. Hurts has reportedly expressed early buy-in behind the scenes.

Latest on a new stadium

Lurie confirmed the organization has begun exploring options for the franchise’s next stadium — a process that could eventually lead to a major overhaul of Lincoln Financial Field or an entirely new structure.

Nothing is imminent. But the conversation has started.

“We’re in the exploratory stage,” Lurie said. “We want to be very thoughtful about it.”

Lincoln Financial Field opened in 2003 and remains under lease through 2032. Lurie praised the stadium and the South Philadelphia Sports Complex but acknowledged that the team must begin evaluating future options, as many NFL franchises are doing.

“It’s a wonderful stadium,” Lurie said. “But we have to think about the long-term future and what makes the most sense for the fans and for the city.”

The Eagles have been studying newer venues across the league and abroad, including modern multipurpose stadiums that can host events beyond football.

A domed facility is among the concepts under discussion. Such a move could help Philadelphia pursue mega-events like the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four.

Lurie said he hasn’t ruled out leaving South Philly.

“We’re looking at everything,” he said. “What’s the best experience for fans? What’s the best long-term home for the Eagles?”

The team has also surveyed season-ticket holders about stadium preferences as part of its research process.

“This is something you do carefully,” he said. “We’re at the very beginning.”

Depth move at linebacker

The Eagles added another piece to their offseason roster this week by signing linebacker Chandler Martin to a two-year deal.

Martin, 23, spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted out of Memphis. He appeared in three games, playing 34 special-teams snaps and recording five tackles.

His rookie season ended early when he tore his ACL in Week 13.

The Eagles view Martin as a developmental linebacker who could compete for depth and special-teams work once healthy. The two-year deal suggests the club is willing to give him time to recover and prove himself.

Philadelphia’s linebacker room is led by Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, with young reserves such as Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon and Chance Campbell also in the mix.

Notes

● Lurie reiterated that he remains deeply involved in the franchise despite giving his son Julian an expanded role in recent years.

“Maybe I still have a lot of gray hair,” Lurie said. “But I’m probably more involved than ever.”

● The owner said the team would be open to appearing in another international game — but only as the visiting team.

“We are not going to give up a home game,” Lurie said. “We just did that in Brazil.”

Philadelphia opened the 2024 season in São Paulo, sacrificing a home date as part of the NFL’s international expansion.

● Sirianni confirmed the Eagles are planning joint training-camp practices this summer with the New England Patriots. They will take place in Foxborough, Mass. Last August, the Eagles hosted practices with the Cleveland Browns ahead of their preseason matchup at the Linc.

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Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/c6ew2xv7

PHILADELPHIA — After Tanner Banks nearly frittered away starter Andrew Painter’s dazzling major-league debut in the sixth and seventh innings, Brad Keller and Jhoan Duran entered in the final two frames to lock down the rookie’s inaugural win in the bigs.

With a 3-0 lead, Banks surrendered an inherited run and later a run of his own before the Phillies went on to a 3-2 victory over Washington Tuesday night.

The unflappable Painter allowed just four hits while striking out eight over 5 1/3, leaving the mound to his third and loudest standing ovation of the night when manager Rob Thomson made a call to the pen.

“It was awesome,” said Painter, a lean, 6-foot-7 right-hander with a boy-next-door face. “Crowd showed up tonight. I just kind of soaked all of it in. I don’t think I could have drawn it up much better.”

As spectacular as 22-year-old Painter’s performance was, the effective combo of Keller and Duran was another positive that shouldn’t be overlooked.

“We didn’t have (Jose) Alvarado tonight because of the pitch count last night, but those guys are power guys, they throw strikes,” Thomson said. “Keller had the one walk and he was a little upset about it, but those guys throw strikes and they get both sides out. It’s a good combination.”

Ideally, the Phillies would like Alvarado to handle the seventh inning, Keller the eighth and Duran to close out the ninth. (Keller and Alvarado could occasionally swap.)

No more bullpen by committee. The plan goes back to the days of more defined bullpen roles, with setup men and a dominant closer who could shorten a game from nine innings to six if their team had the lead.

That formula helped the Phillies win the World Series in 2008, when they had J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. It helped propel the late-1990s Yankees with Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera. The list of examples goes on.

Now, it allows a guy like Orion Kerkering (once he’s healthy) to be a middle-inning fireman. That was Banks’ role Tuesday.

Since the explosion of analytics, the classic seventh-eighth-ninth inning ladder has largely taken a back seat to managers playing matchups and using their would-be closers earlier in games. However, the pendulum may be swinging back.

“When you have a true closer like Duran, that’s the way you should set it up,” Thomson told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb in spring training. “And especially when we have the type of arms that we have. But if you give a guy a fifth- or sixth-inning role, and the seventh- and eighth-inning guys aren’t available, well they’re going to have to pitch in the seventh inning.”

Seems reasonable.

Before even getting to Banks, Thomson handled Painter just right in his debut by not hanging with him too long. He could have sat him down after 77 pitches over five stellar frames to be sure to keep his confidence intact. Instead, he did one better. He sent him back out for the sixth, let him get an out, and then pulled him when C.J. Abrams singled — allowing Painter to bask in the appreciation of an electric crowd at Citizens Bank Park as he departed.

As Painter handed the ball over, Thomson patted him on the chest and asked him if he had enjoyed his outing.

“He shook his head no,” Thomson said. “And then he figured out what I said and shook his head yes.”

Thomson reminded him to tip his cap to the fans when he walked off.

“He told me to do that,” Painter said. “I almost forgot, but I did it.”

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From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/y3pxffne

The Eagles are nibbling around the edges.

After he was unable to re-sign edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who accepted a four-year, $120 million offer from the Carolina Panthers, general manager Howie Roseman has taken a couple half-measures to address the hole in the roster, hoping one of the moves pops.

The first was two weeks ago with Arnold Ebiketie, a former Temple and Penn State standout whom the Atlanta Falcons allowed to walk. The latest is Joe Tryon-Shoynka, 26, a former first-round pick by Tampa Bay. The Birds signed him to a one-year contract Sunday.

“At some point, you got to have parameters of what you would do, what you wouldn’t do,” Roseman said Sunday in Phoenix at the annual league meetings, referencing Phillips’ lucrative deal.

The team still has multiple avenues to address the position, but the moves so far have been modest: one-year, developmental players and the possibility of help arriving through the draft.

“We’re always looking at ways to add to the pass rush,” Roseman said. “That’s a premium position in this league. Sometimes those answers come in free agency, sometimes they come in the draft, sometimes they come through development.”

The 6-foot-5 Tryon-Shoyinka spent last year in Cleveland and Chicago. In five NFL seasons, he has 160 combined tackles and 15 sacks in 82 games (45 starts).

Roseman called the signing a typical offseason flier — a chance to see whether a talented but inconsistent player can rediscover his form.

“You’re always looking for upside,” Roseman said. “You’re always looking for guys that have traits and have shown flashes. Sometimes it clicks when they get into a different environment.”

The current edge group includes former first-round pick Nolan Smith and second-year rusher Jalyx Hunt. Whether Brandon Graham comes back again in a limited role remains to be seen. The front office still expects internal development to be part of the solution.

“We’ve got some young guys that we’re excited about,” coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “Those guys continue to grow. And that’s the challenge every year — you want to add talent, but you also want to see the guys you drafted take the next step.”

Still, the Eagles know elite edge rushers rarely come cheap. The price tags this offseason have reflected that reality, with top players signing contracts well north of $20 million per year.

Roseman said the team considered several options but ultimately chose patience.

“You have to be disciplined,” he said. “Sometimes you’re aggressive, sometimes you’re patient. But the goal is always the same — build the best roster you can.”

The draft could ultimately provide the most realistic path.

Philadelphia owns multiple early picks and historically has not hesitated to invest heavily in the defensive line. The organization built its Super Bowl championship teams around relentless pass rushes, a philosophy that remains intact.

“Pass rush affects everything,” Sirianni said. “It affects the quarterback, it affects coverage, it affects the entire defense. When you can rush the passer, you make everybody better.”

That belief has shaped the Eagles’ roster construction for years — and likely will again.

“We’ll keep looking,” Roseman said. “We’re not done.”

‘Edgy’ Riq Woolen

Speaking of having an edge, newly acquired cornerback Tariq Woolen plays with one. Despite his talent, he led the Seattle Seahawks in penalties last season and nearly cost them a trip to the Super Bowl with a taunting flag in the NFC Championship Game.

But Sirianni likes him.

“I love his length, his speed, the competitiveness that he plays with,” Sirianni said. “He’s an edgy player. And we want edgy players. We want guys that play with that type of mentality.”

Sirianni emphasized that “edgy” doesn’t mean reckless — it means confident, aggressive and physical.

“There’s a difference between being careless and being edgy,” he said. “Edgy is playing aggressive, playing confident, playing with that swagger that good defenses have.”

The Eagles believe Woolen’s size and ball skills fit that approach. The former Pro Bowl corner recorded six interceptions as a rookie in Seattle and has built a reputation as one of the league’s most athletic defensive backs.

“When you watch him, you see a guy that attacks the football,” Sirianni said. “That’s what we want.”

Safety shuffle after Blankenship departure

The Eagles also continue to reshape their secondary after losing safety Reed Blankenship in free agency earlier this month.

Blankenship signed a three-year deal with the Houston Texans, leaving a hole next to last year’s high draft pick Andrew Mukuba.

Philadelphia’s immediate response was to bring back a familiar face. The team re-signed Marcus Epps to a one-year deal that gives the defense a veteran presence and a player who already understands the system.

Epps has started extensively in Philadelphia before and provides what the front office views as a dependable baseline while younger players develop.

Mukuba, meanwhile, is expected to take on a larger role after flashes during his rookie season before injuries sidelined him.

The Eagles also added veteran safety and special-teams standout J.T. Gray on a one-year deal.

Gray is primarily known for his special-teams work — he was an All-Pro earlier in his career — but he adds depth to a position that remains unsettled.

The group could still see additional competition through the draft, a route Roseman has frequently used to fill safety spots in recent years.

News and notes

● Roseman again deflected trade speculation involving star receiver A.J. Brown, offering a simple refrain reminiscent of Marshawn Lynch’s “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”

“A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles,” Roseman repeated. Sirianni basically echoed that line verbatim a day later.

● Sirianni seemed to pour cold water on any notion that former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland would still be around the team this year, which right tackle Lane Johnson had floated on a recent podcast.

“Obviously, we moved on with our staff,” Sirianni said. “Really enjoying working with these guys. Obviously, love the guys that are no longer part of our staff. Always will have a relationship with those guys with everything they’ve done for our football team. But right now, we’re just focused on the upcoming year with this staff.”

Stoutland himself spoke about the idea on Nick Foles’ podcast in response to Johnson’s comments, saying he hadn’t heard anything from the Eagles and is enjoying his life right now.

● The Eagles raised some eyebrows when they reworked kicker Jake Elliott’s contract this offseason, ensuring he returns for the 2026 season after a rocky campaign last year (and some issues in 2024).

Roseman said the organization still has confidence in Elliott.

“I have a lot of faith in Jake,” Roseman said. “He’s been a big part of this team for a long time.”

Elliott signed a four-year contract extension in 2024 that runs through the 2028 season.

● The league meetings continue through Wednesday in Phoenix, with owners and executives discussing potential rule changes and other league business. Unlike last year, the tush push is not a topic of discussion.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/s5kfpspn

PHILADELPHIA — Different year, same Aaron Nola.

The Phillies’ talented right-hander, who has been dogged by home runs throughout his career, was burned twice by the long ball in his season debut Saturday, a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Nola’s line wasn’t terrible: five hits, three earned runs, two walks and seven strikeouts over five frames. (Yes, seven Ks.) But two of the hits left the yard — the second with a runner on base.

Perhaps it’s unfair to get upset with Nola, 32, at this point. He’s 109-89 in his MLB career with a 3.83 ERA, one of the more effective pitchers in recent Phillies history. Homers are baked-in with him. But he’s under contract at $24.7 million per year through 2030, when he’ll turn 37.

Nola always seems to cough up at least one home run. Yet for whatever reason, he often seems to receive the most tepid support from Phillies hitters.

Over the past five seasons, he has ranked far below league average in run support, including just 3½ runs per start in 2025 — a full run below the league norm.

The Phillies didn’t even produce a base hit out of the infield until the ninth inning Saturday.

Still, Nola surrendered 18 homers last season — one of the negative-tier totals in the majors — and that was with missing two months with injuries. The previous two seasons, he gave up a whopping 30 and a league-worst 32.

And guess what he did in his season debut a year ago: He grooved two home runs. Just like Saturday.

Nola didn’t serve up any meatballs while somehow pitching for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. (Major League Baseball is trying to expand its reach, so he qualified for Italy because his great-grandparents emigrated from there nearly a century ago. Join the club.)

In two WBC starts over nine innings, Nola went 1-0, allowing seven hits, one run and one walk while striking out 10. No homers.

It took him about 5 minutes to give up a round-tripper with the Phillies on Saturday.

“Felt pretty good, body and arm felt good,” Nola said afterward. “I think the command in the second inning got out of whack there, but felt like it came back pretty well. I threw a lot of pitches. They worked the counts pretty good. Obviously, those two pitches that those guys hit for homers were tough.

“The strikeouts were good. … But I needed to go longer and deeper into the game.”

Nola’s velocity dropped from 93-94 mph in the WBC to 90-91 in his season opener and final spring-training outing.

Both home runs by the Rangers came with two outs. The first was to Corey Seager in the first inning on a four-seamer up in the zone. The other was in the third to Jake Burger on a knuckle curve — a second-consecutive curve. It followed an 0-2 base hit by Brandon Nimmo on cutter down the middle.

“I thought he was fine,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Two (bad) pitches, really. The fastball to Seager was right at the top of the zone … and he just beat him to the spot. (Nola) probably wants the curveball to Burger back, middle of the dish and hooked it down the line.

“I thought his command for a cold day was really, really good. Spun the ball well. I thought it was a good outing.”

The weather was just as brisk for Rangers lefty Jacob Latz, who started in place of right-hander Jacob deGram, a late scratch because of neck and shoulder soreness. Latz held the Phillies hitless through four innings while striking out three and walking one.

Also, Thomson didn’t mention the pitch to Nimmo.

Nola has defended his decision to pitch in the WBC following an injury-plagued 2025 as a “stress text” for this season. How did it help?

The Phillies’ offense was just as mediocre as Nola on Saturday. Phils hitters showed flashes of life but never fully delivered.

It was just one game — the second of 162 — so no reason to panic. If Wheeler comes back healthy, Nola will drop down to at least No. 3 in the rotation. The bullpen is promising, as are rookie center fielder Justin Crawford and free-agent right fielder Adolis Garcia. Third baseman Alec Bohm is off to a hot start in a contract season.

Hopefully this year is different for the Phillies in a good way, and there are signs that it will be. It’s way too soon to tell. Saturday just felt awfully familiar with Nola and this offense.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.

From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/2ubd6btw

PHILADELPHIA — Wide receiver Hollywood Brown smiled at the podium. Fresh start. Fast offense. A quarterback who can stretch the field.

“I’m excited,” Brown said Thursday as the Eagles introduced him after the sides reached a one-year deal worth up to $6.5 million. “I feel like this is the perfect place for me.”

The Eagles think so too.

“I just want to win,” Brown said at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. “However that looks, I’m with it.”

He spoke calmly, but with an edge. Opportunity has followed him. Consistency hasn’t always.

That’s part of the bet here.

Brown, 28, has flashed big-play ability throughout his career. He’s been a deep threat, a field-tilter. He posted a 1,008-yard season in 2021 and has averaged more than 13 yards per catch as a pro. But injuries and unstable situations have kept him from settling in one place long enough to fully deliver.

Now he steps into a system built for timing and explosion, with quarterback Jalen Hurts pushing the ball downfield.

“I’ve watched how they play,” Brown said. “Explosive. Physical. That’s me.”

The Eagles don’t need him to be the guy. That may be the point. With defenses focused on the top targets, Brown could see favorable matchups — one-on-one with space to run.

“If I get my chances,” he said, “I’m going to make the most of them.”

Brown also talked about fit. About culture. About a locker room that expects to contend.

“You can feel it,” he said. “The standard is high.”

That matters. The Eagles are not rebuilding. They are layering. Brown is one layer.

Braden Mann doesn’t deal in flash. His job is distance, hang time and placement. Quiet work that swings field position.

Still, he understands the stakes.

“Every rep matters,” Mann, the Eagles’ recently re-signed punter, said during his Thursday news conference. “You can change a game with one punt.”

He did that often last season.

Mann finished 2025 with 72 punts and a 49.9-yard average, one of the better marks in the league. He also dropped 20 inside the 20-yard line, a number that reflects control more than power.

That’s what the Eagles want. Not just distance, but precision.

“Coach talks about hidden yards,” Mann said. “That’s what we’re chasing.”

The punter spoke about consistency, about routine. Specialists live there. Same steps, same swing. same results.

“You’ve got to be the same guy every day,” he said.

Mann, 28, has carved out a role by doing just that. Drafted by the Jets in 2020, he spent three years with New York and had a cup of coffee with the Pittsburgh Steelers before landing in Philadelphia. Now, with a four-year, $14 million extension, he returns with long-term expectations.

Special teams can tilt games in January. The Eagles know that. So does Mann.

“It’s about flipping the field, giving the defense an edge,” he said.

No noise. Just work.

Dameon Pierce entered with a different tone. Running backs always do. There’s urgency in the way they speak. Carries are limited. Time is shorter.

“I’m ready to go,” Pierce said. “Whatever they need.”

The Eagles signed Pierce to a one-year deal, adding depth to a crowded backfield. He joins a backfield that already includes Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley and Carson Steele. There will be competition.

Pierce has lived that life.

A fourth-round pick out of Florida in 2022, he broke out as a rookie with 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries. At 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, he ran hard, broke tackles, earned touches.

The years since have been uneven.

He ran for 416 yards in 2023 and 293 in 2024. Most recently was on Chiefs’ practice squad after being waived by Houston in November

Now he gets another shot.

“Every day’s an opportunity,” Pierce said. “You don’t take that for granted.”

He talked about physicality. About finishing runs. About earning trust.

“Run hard. Protect the ball. Do your job,” he said.

Simple words. Hard business.

The Eagles don’t need Pierce to carry the offense. They need reliability. Depth. A runner who can step in and keep the system moving.

Pierce believes he can be that.

“I’ve shown what I can do,” he said. “Now it’s about doing it here.”

NOTES: The Eagles signed tight end Stone Scott to a one-year contract. In four seasons between the Chargers and Jets, he has 38 receptions for 432 yards and a touchdown. … The Minnesota Vikings re-signed former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, adding depth to a group that includes J.J. McCarthy, Kyler Murray and Max Brosmer. … Former Eagles running back Boston Scott announced his retirement. In six seasons here from 2018-2023, he rushed for 1,295 yards and 16 TDS on 302 carries. He also spent time on the practice squads of the Saints, Rams and Steelers.

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From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/2sud2286

PHILADELPHIA — Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones, unlike lots of folks these days, didn’t have to worry about extra-long TSA lines for his Wednesday flight to Philly during the partial government shutdown.

That’s because he piloted the plane himself.

“I found a passion for aviation a few years back and I flew up here today,” Jones said, just hours after arriving from Charlotte in his single-engine propeller plane for his introductory press conference with the Eagles. “It’s a little hobby of mine that I enjoy doing.

“I flew into Philly (International) Airport this morning. It was kind of nice to have the little approach over the Delaware River. It was kind of a nice touch for this morning.”

The 32-year-old Jones — an under-the-radar signing, so to speak — agreed to a one-year deal last week (financial terms not yet disclosed). The move came on the heels of the Birds inking Tariq Woolen to a one-year contract worth up to $15 million, as they continue to add secondary depth and address the outside cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell.

Jones’ NFL journey is an improbable one. At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, he was an undrafted free agent out of Auburn in 2016. But the New England Patriots picked him up and he spent his first nine seasons there, winning two Super Bowls.

He played in 12 games for the Washington Commanders last year, finishing with 41 tackles and five passes defended.

Jones has found a way to stay on the field for most of the last decade. Aside from a shoulder injury that landed him on IR in 2021, he has generally been a durable, consistent contributor. He did miss the tail end of the 2017 postseason, including Super Bowl LII against Nick Foles and the Eagles, with an injured ankle.

“I try to stay grounded, stay as low to the ground as I can,” the high-flying Jones, a native of Northwest Georgia, ironically said. “I’m always trying to compete, and I still have that childhood joy of playing football. I try to be a cerebral player and dissect offenses, understand how they’re trying to attack us, and go out there and compete.

“I think I have a good philosophy of how defenses are good at stopping offenses, and (how to) eliminate explosive plays. As a cornerback for a long time, I know you’re not going to stop every play, but I want to stop the explosives.”

Throughout his pro career, Jones has alternated between a full-time starter and a depth player. He has played both inside and outside. His most productive year was 2022, when he had four interceptions, including a pick-six, 11 passes defended and 69 tackles in 16 starts on the perimeter.

“I love playing football,” he said. “I can’t remember life before football, every fall since I was 4. … I love aggression. I love flying around on the field and making plays, supporting my teammates.”

Asked what attracted him to the Eagles, Jones had a simple answer: “Winning,” he said. “You watch week in and week out, they find ways to win. That’s so hard to do in this league.

“I kind of admired what this team’s been building over the last few years, some of the dominance they’ve been showing, year in and year out. … A lot of teams will be in the playoffs one year and then you may not hear from them for three or four years.”

Jones also expressed admiration for Mitchell and Cooper DeJean,

“They’re some really, really good young players who have already established themselves in the league, made a lot of plays,” he said. “I think I can be of help to those guys, help them build in their careers, because they have promising futures.”

Jones worked with Eagles secondary coach Mike Pellegrino when both men were in New England. The corner called Pellegrino “one of the hardest working men in football.”

Eagles acquire QB Andy Dalton

Another import from North Carolina Wednesday was journeyman quarterback Andy Dalton, whom the Eagles got from the Panthers in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round pick.

Dalton is entering the second year of a two-year deal and is reportedly guaranteed $4 million. He will compete for a third-string spot, or perhaps second string, though the Eagles still think highly of backup QB Tanner McKee.

Dalton, 38, was a second-round pick out of TCU by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011. He quickly emerged as a starter in Cincinnati, compiling a 70-61-2 record over nine seasons and leading the Bengals to four consecutive playoff berths while earning three Pro Bowl honors. Since then, he has played for the Cowboys, Saints, Bears and Carolina.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.