Time for Bracket Jawn | Sports Daily Newsletter

March Madness is upon us, and fans across the country are filling out their brackets. We’ve got you covered with Bracket Jawn, The Inquirer’s very own bracket challenge! We’ve got contests for the men’s and women’s tournament, so there’s two chances to win the $1,000 prize.

Here’s how it works:

Don’t know which teams to pick? Each first-round box comes with an expert scouting report. Just click on the “i” in the top right corner.

Click here for more information and to enter the challenge.

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

❓Who is your pick to win the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

James Bradberry is back with the Eagles on a three-year deal, and he told Josh Tolentino that he picked Philadelphia despite having received more lucrative offers elsewhere. But the fit was right, as he got a sneak peak at Sean Desai’s defense and knows what the Eagles have as far as a high-powered offense. No, it wasn’t the ideal ending to the Super Bowl when he was called for holding on Kansas City’s drive to put the Chiefs ahead. But now he’s looking to help the Eagles get back to the big game.

The Eagles also made moves at running back, agreeing to terms with free agent Rashaad Penny and Boston Scott. Miles Sanders also tweeted his thanks to Philadelphia on Tuesday. Assuming Sanders heads elsewhere, it’ll be a shift in the running back rotation as Kenneth Gainwell could play a larger role in this new group. They’ll be running behind a well-paid center in Jason Kelce. He, too, decided to return to the Eagles, and he should savor this coming season.

The Eagles of course will see some free-agent losses, but there is a formula to success.

Next: Unrestricted free agents are permitted to execute contracts with their new clubs beginning at 4 p.m. today.

From June 1 through the end of the regular season, the Phillies went 66-46 for the fourth-best record in the National League. They were nearly even with the Mets (67-44) and more competitive with the Braves (78-34). If they played at that pace all year, the Phillies would’ve won 95 games. But the Braves and Mets finished with 101 wins apiece, marking the fourth time since 1995 that one division featured two 100-win teams. The Phillies finished with 87, a fact that endures even though they got there because of a 22-29 start that led to the firing of manager Joe Girardi. And since the Braves are running back their five consecutive NL East titles with largely the same core, sans shortstop Dansby Swanson, and the Mets merely replaced a two-time Cy Young Award winner (Jacob deGrom) with a three-timer (Justin Verlander), most prognostication systems are pegging them to finish first and second again, with the Phillies running a distant third in many of the models. It hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Phillies’ clubhouse.

Ranger Suárez isn’t making any promises, but he’s not ruling out being ready for his first start of the regular season.

Next: Aaron Nola will get his fourth Grapefruit League start at 1:05 p.m. Wednesday against the Yankees in Tampa, Fla.

Paul Reed has learned to soak up information on the fly and implement it in real time. That skill has made him an asset for the 76ers as he filled a much-needed backup center spot. He’s played better of late, but more importantly he’s earned the respect and trust of Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid and James Harden. “I feel like the more time I get on the court, the better I build chemistry with my teammates.”

Next: The Sixers play the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Sean Couturier continues to work his way back from a second back surgery in eight months. On Tuesday, he participated in morning skate with his teammates for the first time this season, the latest positive step in his recovery.

Couturier, who has not played in a game since Dec. 18, 2021, told reporters that he hopes to make it back for a few games this season. Will Couturier play this season? John Tortorella doesn’t seem to think so.

The Flyers rallied but ultimately lost their fourth straight on Tuesday night.

Next: The Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Admit it. You’re a bit dazed and confused about what the latest U.S. national men’s team controversy is all about. Never fear, dear reader, Inquirer soccer guru Jonathan Tannenwald has pulled together almost all the information out there on the Reyna/Berhalter issue, going back over 30 years, and put it together into a timeline. Dive in!

There’s good news on the USMNT front as well. Top dual-national player Alejandro Zendejas has chosen to represent the United States.

In Concacaf Champions League action, the Union struggled a bit at the start before breaking through and rolling over Alianza at Subaru Park.

Temple turnover: A trio of Owls hit the transfer portal.

Taking flight: After an eventful first season, Temple’s Diane Richardson is ready for Year 2.

Fresh perspective: How a trip to Argentina affected a St. Joe’s star.

Tiger’s touch: The golf legend is stepping in with a historic local course’s renovation.

We asked: A young Howie Roseman, in search of an entry-level position in football, sent out around how many letters to NFL organizations before landing a job in 2000 with the Eagles as an intern?

Answer: D: Over 1,000. Roseman told Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon in 2014 that he sent about 1,100, generated by one letter to each team three or four times a year between his senior year in high school and his third year of law school.

We asked you: Have any Eagles departures made you question Howie Roseman yet? Why or why not? Among your responses:

I have to question letting Javon Hargrave go. I know it’s all about the money but he has the stats to back him up. He’s one they should never have let walk. — Kathy T.

Marcus Hayes covered this subject so well that I hesitate to even try to add anything, but basically I am going to go with “In Howie we trust” as Mr. Hayes wrote. I think you always are sorry to see players who took you all the way to the SB leave, but so far no departures that really hurt. Looking back remembering Mr. Roseman’s early struggles it was difficult to understand why Mr. [Lurie] gave him that job, but he has worked hard to learn the job and obviously has emerged as one of the best general managers in the NFL. At this point we wannabe GMs should leave the decisions to him. He has earned our trust. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Josh Tolentino, EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Mike Sielski, David Murphy, Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Giana Han, Olivia Reiner, Jonathan Tannenwald, Cayden Steele, Javon Edmonds, Aaron Tully, and Aaron Carter.