Carter in the nest | Sports Daily Newsletter

There’s no doubting the talent Jalen Carter brings to the field.

But there’s a reason he fell to No. 9, which is where the Eagles drafted him after swapping picks with Chicago. And it’s a tragic reason.

Carter was charged with, and later pleaded no contest to, two misdemeanors in connection with a car crash that killed a Georgia teammate of his and a recruiting staffer.

Carter joins a franchise that has a good track record with players who have spotty pasts. In doing so, the Eagles chose to put his talent as an athlete first, Mike Sielski writes.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

unCovering the Birds with Jeff McLane Ep 6: Beau Knows Football Stories

All-Pros are important. But every good football team needs a couple of colorful characters, too. For the 2017 Eagles Super Bowl champs, Beau Allen was one of those guys. In the latest episode of unCovering the Birds, Beau shares with Inquirer beat reporter Jeff McLane the funny, absurd, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that only a career in professional football offers. From tales of Tebowmania to makeshift parade-route restrooms, Allen recalls his favorite (and infamous) memories. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or go to Inquirer.com/podcasts

After selecting two Georgia defensive stars last season, the Eagles did so again on the first night of the 2023 draft. With defensive tackle Carter in the fold as one of the top talents in the draft and edge rusher Nolan Smith as the 30th overall pick, the Eagles seemed to get good value at those spots, as it was thumbs up all around.

Oh, and moving up one spot to No. 9 to draft Carter wasn’t the only trade. The Eagles received draft compensation from the Cardinals, including a third-round pick swap because of a tampering violation from when Arizona contacted him about its head coaching position.

Next: The Eagles have the No. 62 and No. 66 overall picks in today’s second and third rounds of the draft.

Let’s be real. We all expected this. The 76ers always were destined to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Everything has broken perfectly for them so far, but now they face a big challenge against a team that has had their number. Here are four areas to shore up if they want to beat the Celtics.

Next: The Sixers will face the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday (7:30 p.m., TNT).

Maybe it was because the team jet was fueled up and ready to fly. Or maybe it had to do with the destination — Houston, where the Phillies’ magic ride ended in Game 6 of the World Series last year. But Rob Thomson sure was in a must-win state of mind Thursday. Because the manager said Matt Strahm was set to throw “probably 85 pitches, maybe 90, depending on how good it looks.” And it looked better than good against the Mariners. Strahm allowed two hits in 5⅓ scoreless, walk-free innings and threw only 60 pitches. Yet there came Thomson to take the ball and put a one-run game in the bullpen’s hands. It was aggressive, especially for Game 26 of the season. It was the kind of move that Thomson made, say, in the World Series. And the bullpen continued to deliver.

The Phillies got some good news on pitcher Taijuan Walker, who left Wednesday’s start early with right forearm tightness.

Next: The Phillies travel to Houston for a World Series rematch beginning at 8:10 p.m. Friday (Apple TV+). Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.40) will start against Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (2-2, 2.25).

The Flyers aren’t expected to be major players when free agency opens on July 1, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some business to address.

In addition to hiring a permanent general manager and a president of hockey operations, the Flyers have several pending free agents — both unrestricted and restricted — on whom to make decisions. Who should the Flyers retain and who should they let walk? Olivia Reiner assesses the team’s pending free agents.

Chasing a dream: Allie Wilson, a Strath Haven grad, is looking to crack the Olympic roster.

Back on the track: After a long hiatus, this former Neumann Goretti star is running again and competed at the Penn Relays.

Measuring MLS: While the Union are on a bye week for league play, check out other MLS action to see who might be a threat in the postseason.

We asked: Heading into this year’s draft, which Eagles draft move surprised you the most? Among your responses:

The biggest surprise I had in the draft was the year the Eagles took Jalen Reagor. Eagles fans were happy to realize that one of the top receivers, Justin Jefferson, was still available when it came time for the Eagles to pick — and then they took Reagor. To this day, that choice baffles me. — Tom E.

I recall being somewhat surprised many times over the years by who the Eagles drafted first. Years back I thought Mr. Roseman was a dunce when it came to making draft picks, but right now I am more interested in Mr. Hayes’s running back pick. I really appreciate Mr. Hayes writing and the thought and effort he puts into what he does so I am really interested in his logic in taking running back Robinson first. If I were Mr. Roseman I would be picking an offensive or defensive lineman, but I kind of like Mr. Hayes’s logic in having a super running back to take the pressure off Jalen to pick up those key yards on the ground. It would definitely help prolong his NFL career if he was not forced to run as often as he does.

And in closing I should mention that Mr. Roseman has gone from the dunce that I thought he was to one of the very best NFL general managers. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentono, Jeff McLane, Gina Mizell, David Murphy, Keith Pompey, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Isabella DiAmore, Aaron Carter, and Jonathan Tannenwald.