👋 Good morning! Checking in on Dallas…

All credit to Jacoby Brissett and the Fightin’ Ganzes. I thoroughly enjoyed St. Joe’s Prep’s finest, Marvin Harrison Jr., giving DaRon Bland work.

So, the NFC East huh?

You know, it has been over 20 years since this division, our beloved division, has seen a back-to-back champion. I am not declaring anything over, I was there for 2023 and the Eagles’ remaining schedule is legitimately tough. But the rest of this division seems like it kinda stinks at the moment. — Rich Hofmann

You know what will never be over, though? My love for Righteous Felon Craft Jerky. It’s not a Monday at the office for me without a Street Taco Pork Stick or two.

As always, you can reach me at [email protected]

Even if the calendar technically does say November, it is very much #HowieSZN.

And with the most proactive general manager in professional sports, it comes as little surprise that the Eagles made their major swing — not the 6-7 roster tinkering we saw over the previous week —  over 24 hours before the actual NFL trade deadline. This was never going to be a Tuesday-at-4 p.m., at-the-buzzer, pencils-down sort of move.

Judging from social media reaction and gauging a few text chains, I am more #HowieSZNd up about this move than #HowieNation. I like this move! On The Genard Avery-to-Jay Ajayi Memorial Eagles Trade Deadline Scale, I think it could at least be Ajayi-adjacent. And did I write that sentence just to type out “Ajayi-adjacent?” Possibly.

First, let’s give you the particulars:

Two more little deets about the trade…

I am more excited about this move than consensus, but I will first lay out the reasons why people might not be so high on the Jaelan Phillips acquisition. I am a fair and level-headed guy, after all.

(1) Howie’s previous in-season trades: It’s not a great list! There is a reason I wrote “Ajayi-adjacent” above, outside of simply loving the descriptor “Ajayi-adjacent.” After the Jay Train, there is not a whole lot of good. Is Golden Tate seriously the next best move just because he caught that touchdown in The Double Doink Game? Because, man, that was not a very good trade either.

We have seen this kinda framework before, a mid-round pick for an edge-rusher. A 4 for Avery (bad), a 4 for Robert Quinn (also bad). Is the third time a charm or do things come in threes? Tune in to find out!

(2) Phillips is a rental: Or, at the very least, someone you would have to re-sign this offseason. This is Phillips’ fifth season in the NFL, and as a former first-rounder, he has played all of those on his rookie contract with Miami picking up his fifth-year option. But he hits the open market this offseason.

🚨🚨🚨🚨 And is this a comp pick possibility if he bolts? 🚨🚨🚨🚨 Yes, #HowieSZN springs eternal, but we will cross that bridge once we get there.

(3) The injuries: Burying the lede here a bit, this is the biggest worry in this section by a mile. Let’s work backwards on this one…

Yeesh. Phillips did play full NFL seasons in 2021 and 2022. And who knows, hopefully he just had some bad injury luck the past two years. But the injuries are a worry.

That said, unless there was some crazy “Myles Garrett for three 1s” deal available to the Eagles, which is risky in its own right, Howie and the Eagles front office were gonna have to take some sort of calculated risk here. And I like the one they chose, for the following reasons…

(1) Howie did not overcomplicate things: Everyone saw this with their own two eyes, the Eagles needed help at edge-rusher and cornerback. Of those two spots, there seemed to be more supply to get a real edge-rusher of Phillips’ caliber. And with the Eagles realistically only trading for one true difference-maker at the deadline (although we will see, #HowieSZN and all), it makes sense that they went this route.

Seems like good process to me. Do not overcomplicate things.

(2) Phillips is huge and productive: A prototypical edge-rusher, long and physically imposing at 6-foot-5 and 263 pounds. His build kinda reminds me of, and this list of names is totally random, Aldon Smith, Khalil Mack and Bradley Chubb. Phillips is even a bit bigger than all of those guys.

And when healthy, Phillips is good. 8.5 sacks in 2021, 7 sacks in 2022, and 6.5 sacks in 2023… which was only in eight games, because he tore his Achilles. And this year, he has three sacks and a ton of pressures. You know what that sack number means? We have a new King on the Edge! King on the Edge! King on the Edge!

(3) Phillips is a well-rounded player: In part because he is so big, Phillips is decent against the run. As Fran told me on yesterday’s Eagles show, Phillips also has experience dropping in coverage. As The Cornell Comet Jalyx Hunt has shown us, you have to do that at least occasionally in this defense.

But in reading Fran’s coverage, what stood out most is that Phillips is not just lining up on the edge and pinning his ears back. He has done a lot of his damage this season on the interior.

As Fran writes about (and shows you) in that excellent piece, the Eagles have been effective this season at three-man games. Overload three rushers in the front to one side, walk a linebacker up to the other side, and you have no idea what is coming as an offense. Well, Phillips can help in multiple ways there (line up inside, twists/stunts, drop in coverage).

Combine 2 and 3, and you get…

(4) Phillips is Uncle Vic approved: The conventional wisdom in Philly is that everybody who played for the 2023 Miami Dolphins defense was a soft baby who hated Vic Fangio, and Vic Fangio hated them. Did that framing get a little out of hand because the Eagles thrived last season? Perhaps!

Anyway, Fran said that Uncle Vic was on board with this one. And Phillips told Johnny Airport that he loved playing for Vic. This guy is Vic’s prototypical edge-rusher. He is big, can do a lot of things and is not wholly reliant on sacks to make a difference. The opposite of Bryce Huff, basically. Speaking of Bryce, four more sacks to go buddy!

(5) Phillips has some antagonist in him: We love an antagonist in Philly. Two years ago, the Eagles played the Dolphins on Sunday Night Football. Phillips got a sack, and then flapped his wings in mock celebration. The Linc crowd booed lustily. Here is what I wrote about the newest Eagles in the following day’s newsy.

Anyway, welcome to Philly, Jaelan!

(5) The edge-rushing group looks solid now: Nolan Smith should return to practice this week, so you might get three new additions to Jeremiah Washburn’s room in time for the Green Bay game. And now, that group looks like this…

Former King on the Edge Patrick Johnson will likely bump back to special teams. That is a professional group. I think you can reasonably go to war with that group.

(6) This team deserved a shot in the arm: Are they flawed? Of course, CB2 is still a huge problem spot, but so is everybody in the NFL. The Packers have lost to the Browns and Panthers so far this season. The Eagles still have plenty of draft ammo left over, this is not mortgaging the future or anything. But look, you have a defending Super Bowl champion sitting at 6-2 after playing a tough schedule.

This group deserved some #HowieSZN. And they got it.

Tyson Foerster, out for a week: This Flyers group is pretty committed to blocking shots, but unfortunately, a blocked shot in Saturday’s loss to Toronto is gonna break up their most consistent line for at least a week. Tyson Foerster is out.

SHHOOOOOTTTT!!!! I cannot believe Dustin Wolf’s luck. The guy faces JV hockey teams on the reg, and the Flyers can only muster 18 shots against him.

The Flyers are (*checks notes*) dead last in the NHL with 23.5 shots per game. That is not enough! I am not saying that you have to be Carolina and peppering opposing netminders at the first chance you get (although that works!), but Travis Konecny passing up a breakaway shot to thread one to Egor Zamula in traffic is the definition of doin’ too much. Charlie wrote about this unwelcome phenomenon yesterday.

Maybe the fans go with a “SHHOOOOTTTT!” chant at the outset of the next game? I dunno, just workshopping some ideas.

Walt Weiss: New manager of the Braves.

Gabe Kapler: New general manager of the Marlins. Still behind Peter Bendix on the org chart. Just got a title change. Just wanted to keep you up to date on Gabe.

Fire up the TikTok camera: The Sixers have a pretty easy schedule in the early going opponent-wise, but not rest-wise. Three back-to-backs in the first few weeks, with all three of those games being at a rest disadvantage. Those will even out as the season moves along, but Wednesday in Cleveland for instance? That feels like an auto-loss. It’s also why I thought the comeback in Washington, a clear schedule loss on paper, was more impressive that it looks just glancing at the standings.

Speaking of which, a nice injury report for tomorrow night against the resurgent Bulls!

This will be McCain’s first action since mid-December. Happy for him, crummy year health-wise.

I am not expecting Jared to do anything, these are the No Expectations Sixers after all, but he was a revelation at the beginning of last season. Offensively, he should fit in well with this group. The Sixers are one of the best shooting teams in the league, and Jared might honestly be their best shooter. He does not need the ball in his hands, even if he is good with the ball in his hands. He is not Steph Curry, but he was doing some Steph Curry-style relocation stuff last season.

And defensively, well, they already kinda stink on that end anyway. How much more harm can ol’ Jared really do?

Quentin Grimes has been great to start this season, but he is not a traditional lead guard and can run a little hot and cold. Part of the reason the Sixers lost against Boston is because Grimes had a bad stint running point in the second half. That’s OK, it happens. But Jared should be a stabilizer in those minutes.

Oh, and with that in mind, Nick Nurse saw Thibs got fired and saw an opportunity to stick it to 🚓 The Minutes Police 🚓 and grab the mantle…

I get it, there was an overtime game mixed in there and the Sixers have been shorthanded. But 🚓 The Minutes Police 🚓 are knocking at your door, Nick, and just like when they are clearing out a college frat party, they are giving you a warning. Knock it off!

Picture this: a fan cave that actually feels like your dream setup. Thanks to Ashley, that could be real. We’re giving away a $2,500 Ashley Furniture Gift Card! Go big on a sectional, add some stylish pieces, or trick out your space for game day. All up to you. Just visit ashleyfancave.com, see if you're eligible, fill out the form, and you’re entered.

It’s that simple. Enter now and you might be watching the next big game in a fan cave built by you, courtesy of Ashley.

I was also cracking up at the dude in the pope hat and jersey behind Villanova’s bench. This dude was living and dying with every possession, but he also had a pope hat on.

Flyers and the Sixers are both on the road. Orange and Black in Montreal (7:00 p.m., NBC Sports Philly), Sixers in Chicago (8:00 p.m., NBC Sports Philly Plus).

Your tentative Tuesday schedule at PHLY:

Let's make it a good one.

Rich Hofmann
Daily Newsletter Editor
PHLY SPORTS