🏈 Inside man | Sports Daily Newsletter

Howie Roseman has always been a bit of an enigma.

Scores of Eagles fans now endear him, but many can vividly remember when that wasn’t the case. After a certain coach tried to make him an afterthought, and head-scratching draft selections that didn’t pan out, many questioned what owner Jeffrey Lurie saw in Roseman.

However, savvy draft decisions and roster management in recent years have led to a pair of Super Bowl titles in the last decade. The Eagles’ recent success has also seemingly made mediocrity a thing of the past.

For your Friday read, I encourage you to check out the latest from Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski, who takes a look at how the “aggressive” nature of the Birds’ general manager has paid off as much personally as it has professionally — especially when it comes to making the right moves in the NFL draft.

Speaking of Roseman, meet the former NFL executive who is teaching students at Villanova how to be just like Howie.

Both are really good reads on this Good Friday, one that’ll find temperatures approaching the 70s under partly cloudy skies across the region.

Enjoy today.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, [email protected].

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓ Are you worried about Aaron Nola after an 0-4 start for the Phillies? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Cristopher Sánchez’s changeup is his most effective pitch. He turns to it 34.8% of the time in a typical outing, and uses it to put away batters 19.4% of the time. In Thursday’s 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants, his signature offering was lethal. Said manager Rob Thomson: “It was as good as you’re gonna get.”

Johan Rojas set a goal for this season: Conduct his interviews in English. And his hard work is paying off.

Next: The Phillies open a home series against Miami at 6:45 tonight (NBCSP). Zack Wheeler (1-1, 4.07 ERA) will start against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (2-0, 4.70).

Quentin Grimes put together quite a body of work during his short stint with the 76ers after arriving in a deadline-day deal. He was originally added as a key cog to support Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, a fellow Texan and former USA Basketball U18 teammate. But the injured, tanking franchise helped buoy Grimes’ career just in time to hit restricted free agency. Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 28 games in Philly.

That success has Grimes thinking about a return to the Sixers. Grimes said that he “definitely” sees a longer-term future in Philly. Grimes and Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, are on the same page. “We’re excited for him to come back,” Morey said at his end-of-season news conference. “We’ve positioned ourselves to bring him back.”

It’s been a trying season on the ice for the Flyers, as the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth-straight season and finished near the bottom of the league.

But despite all the losses, there were a few bright spots worth recognizing, including the offensive emergence of Noah Cates. Jackie Spiegel looks at three positives and three negatives from the 2024-25 season.

The Flyers kept it close, but lost their season finale to the Buffalo Sabres, 5-4. Rookie star Matvei Michkov finished one goal shy of his first NHL hat trick.

The Flyers also improved their lottery odds with Thursday night’s loss. Here’s a look at where the team could be selecting in June’s draft.

A look at the Eagles’ defensive depth chart shows how the team could use some additions via the NFL to help bolster a Super Bowl roster that has taken some losses in free agency.

So, who’s it going to be in the first round? A defensive tackle in Walter Nolen? A safety in Malaki Starks? Devin Jackson and EJ Smith discuss the options with the 32nd overall pick.

April 18, 1987: April has been very good to the career of Phillies great Mike Schmidt. It was on this date that he blasted the 500th home run of his career. Just one day and 11 years earlier, Schmidt hit four homers to lead the Phillies in one of the greatest comebacks in MLB history.

We asked: What’s something in sports you can’t get behind?

I can’t get behind the NFL expanding to 17 games a year, with what everyone knows will eventually be 18 games. In the meantime, the league says that player safety is paramount to their thinking. This is total hypocrisy driven by greed. — Tom E.

Will never get behind the restoration of Pete Rose, and all of those steroid cheaters in baseball. — Ken E.

I definitely can’t get behind those in the NFL and out who are seriously against the Tush Push and want to ban it. Innovation is good for sports, and the tush push is a very creative and entertaining play that should never be outlawed. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Matt Breen, Devin Jackson, Owen Hewitt, Conor Smith, EJ Smith, Jackie Spiegel, Gustav Elvin, Gina Mizell, and Lochlahn March.

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.

Enjoy the weekend. Jim returns on Monday to get your week started. — Kerith