Another Eagle exits | Sports Daily Newsletter

Another piece of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning defense is headed out of town. This time it is safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who is being traded to the Houston Texans for guard Kenyon Green in a deal that involves swapping draft picks as well.

Green will compete for a starting job on the Eagles’ line as Mekhi Becton, another free agent, is likely departing for greener pastures. But in addition to Gardner-Johnson, the defense has lost free agents Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Isaiah Rodgers, and Oren Burks. Also, released cornerback Darius Slay reportedly will sign with the Steelers.

What to make of the Gardner-Johnson trade? Our Eagles writers weigh in with shrugs.

How will the Eagles replace him at safety? Sydney Brown, a third-round pick in 2023, would like to step into a starting role, and our EJ Smith has some ideas on other players who could fit in.

Many of the departures came as no surprise to Howie Roseman, who has preached patience this offseason. Six players who had roles in the defense are moving on, but the general manager has earned the trust of Eagles fans. Plenty of the offseason remains for him to work his magic.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, [email protected].

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❓ What is the Eagles’ biggest hole to fill on defense? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Last year, Bryson Stott’s offense regressed in every measurable way from 2023. The Phillies attributed Stott’s backslide, at least in part, to a right elbow injury that went undisclosed until manager Rob Thomson mentioned it in December. But that doesn’t explain the indecisiveness that seeped into Stott’s approach at the plate. Now healthy, Stott finding a plate approach that best suits him and sticking with it will be equally meaningful in bouncing back.

Buddy Kennedy, who hit his third home run on Tuesday, is adding outfield to his resumé this spring. And he was put to the test against a formidable foe.

Next: The Phillies will be idle today — their last day off in spring training — before facing the Braves at 1:05 p.m. Thursday in Clearwater, Fla.

Five years ago, on March 11, 2020, the NBA — and the world — stopped. The COVID-19 shutdown started in earnest with commissioner Adam Silver’s decision to suspend play after Rudy Gobert, then a star with the Utah Jazz, became the first confirmed COVID case in the league. Members of the 76ers, who were all in disparate places at the time, reflected on that “crazy time.”

When the pandemic started, Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele was in China, Andre Drummond was enduring a career transition in Cleveland, Nick Nurse was rolling with the Toronto Raptors, and Justin Edwards and Ricky Council IV were in high school. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell provided a snapshot of what several Sixers remember about the day the league stopped, and everything that followed.

Cam York is not exactly in John Tortorella’s doghouse, but the Flyers coach would like to see more consistency from the veteran defenseman. Tortorella made that point Saturday by making York a healthy scratch in the loss to the Seattle Kraken. York was back in the lineup the next day, a bit puzzled as to why he was scratched to begin with.

“It’s not like every time he’s out there, he’s awful,” Tortorella said. “I just want to see it more consistently. I want to see him use his legs more consistently.”

The Flyers losing streak continued on Tuesday night, this time in a 5-2 setback against the Ottawa Senators. The Orange and Black have now lost five in a row.

Tuesday marked significant change at La Salle as the school announced that it has found a successor for Big 5 men’s basketball legend Fran Dunphy, who is retiring at the end of this season.

Darris Nichols, the coach at Radford University, is next up, taking over an Explorers program eager to emerge from the bottom of the Atlantic 10. Nichols, 38, went 68-63 with two 20-win campaigns in four seasons at Radford, where he grew up in southwestern Virginia. The Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg has more on Nichols, his pedigree, and what fans can expect.

With the Big East tournament tipping off today, Neiburg profiles Villanova’s Eric Dixon and Jordan Longino, the last recruits from the Jay Wright era, who hope to lead the Wildcats in defying expectations.

Who is the last Flyer to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP?

Answer: B) Eric Lindros in 1995. Ben B. was first with the correct answer.

We asked you: What grade do you give Daryl Morey as Sixers president? Among your responses:

I’m not sure how Daryl Morey could possibly think anger is what fuels Sixer fans. If you watched the Eagles fans this year (who are basically the same fans) you might have noticed that winning is what fuels us. Not winning during the regular season, winning in the postseason. Winning championships! If you think it’s easy watching our teams get worse instead of better while the Celtics and Knicks to name a few continue to win with players that we were hoping got drafted by our team but somehow got passed over for lesser talent, well it only fuels the anger of the fan. It doesn’t define us. The anger is a side effect of the never-ending incompetence that has been endured by the fans of this team since Pat Croce left. Be happy it’s only anger and not apathy. — Daniel C.

I give him a solid 2 out of 10. OK, he was stuck with Embid, but why did they ever extend his contract? They knew his problems firsthand. I am guessing that they didn’t want to be blamed if they let him go and he turned around. If anger is driving the fans, fear is driving Morey. Not good. — Armen P.

F for Morey. — Ralph M.

Daryl Morey gets an F. He accomplished what I thought was impossible: he made the Sixers irrelevant. Bringing in Paul George to an old and injured team was foolish, and did not pan out. We need to once again start over, this time without Morey. — John C.

A big fat “F,” unacceptable — Jill L.

I give the entire 76ers organization an F for Failure from Josh Harris and his partners down to Daryl Morey and anyone else involved in decision making for this once outstanding team. I exempt coach Nick Nurse because not even Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, KC Jones, or Pat Riley could manage to make this team a winner. If only we could bring back 1967 and 1983. — Everett S.

F F F F F F F F — D.J.

Fire him and Nurse. Hire Sam Cassell — Gerald S.

Well, it is the same old song repeated year after year after year! The process should never have happened. Joel should be sent elsewhere but no one will want a damaged player who can’t finish a season without multiple injuries and missed games. Hope springs eternal at the beginning of the season but it doesn’t last at the end. So many players have rotated through the team and that causes inconsistency so how can a team play as a team when the players are always changing. I can’t watch anymore! — Vince O.

I’ll give him a D. He threw money at Embiid despite knowing the talented center’s fragility. Harden for Simmons seemed like a good thing, but it was one unhappy player for another. Paul George was an unforced error, a Hall of Famer whose expiration date was flashing while he was in L.A. ... What keeps him from an F, to me, are three players: Maxey, obviously; Oubre, and, hoping he doesn’t turn into another chronic medical issue, Jared McCain. — Joel G.

... His tenure here has shown no plan, no overarching perspective on how to build a solid, cohesive team. As his plans have crumbled, he continues to do teardown after teardown, always seeking the “magic player” who will somehow make everything all right. His star seeking, which was at its worst with Harden, never contributes to chemistry or continuity, which is a key ingredient in formulating a competitive, worthy team. This year, all of that has compounded, along with the injuries, to expose him as a classic Tinkerer, the worst thing you want in a general manager. I am so hoping that the first move the Sixers make at season’s end is to send him packing. — Reggie H.

F minus — Mike V.

F-. What was he thinking with George, Gordon, and Jackson? Is he in a time warp? Season ticket holder for over 10 years. This is the worst product since the beginning of the Process. — Joseph R.

F is about right. He collects washed-up players and extends Embiid. Sixers will be non-competitive for years. Thanks Harris. — Bill M.

There was moaning over the Tobias Harris contract. Morey has replaced it with an even worse contract for Paul George. Try to name anything he has done that has made the Sixers better other than some luck on draft picks. — J. Michael F.

C — it was a lot higher before the Paul George fiasco. — Richard V.

F for Morey — K.J.F

Daryl Morey gets a retrograde because almost all of his moves have taken the Sixers backward. His tenure as the GM, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, has been a travesty wrapped in a farce inside an abject failure. — Stephen T.

The grade is in… D-. He doesn’t show any drive, passion or work ethic that us fans show in our daily lives but more importantly in our love and passion for this city and our basketball team. ... I will not be buying any 76ers tickets or merchandise until Daryl Morey is fired as the President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers. — Cooper G.

I would give him a D+. I might give him credit for getting rid of Ben Simmons, BUT he mortgaged the team to bring in James Harden, who was the bigger BUST! His gambles on Paul George and extending Embid are abject failures. At present, his only success is drafting Maxey. I feel for Tyrese because he is the leader, and best player on a team of mostly G-Leaguers and end of benchers, thanks to Morey and his lack of talent evaluation. — Darryl G.

Back in college I got a C in Chemistry, which was a pass but not enough to take Chemistry II. That’s Morey (including his bonkers struggle to understand chemistry, in a team sense). He’s on par but it’s time to get him off this path. He got better new player performances last year by chasing expiring contracts than he did by chasing a personal dream team this offseason. Half his fiddlings are failures and his entire career he’s coasted on putting unsustainable burdens on a star or two, mostly James Harden, and he ruined that relationship here. He should do what I did for my advanced science credit and leave town for the mountains and study rocks. — D.W.S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Aaron Carter, Maria McIlwain, and Brooke Ackerman.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That closes another Sports Daily as we move one day closer to Phillies opening day. Thanks for reading. Kerith will be at the newsletter controls on Thursday. — Jim