Harriton High School’s varsity football season has been suspended due to low participation, concerns over player safety, and questions about “the sustainability of maintaining a competitive program,” according to a letter sent to families on Monday.
“We recognize that this is disappointing news for our student-athletes, families, coaches, and the entire football community. We understand the time, effort, commitment, and excitement that goes into preparing for a football season, and we do not make this decision lightly,” the letter, signed by principal Stu Warshawer and athletic director Shawn Albert, read.
The Lower Merion school board in May approved the formation of a cooperative between Lower Merion and Harriton’s football programs for the upcoming school year, however the cooperative is awaiting approval from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). Under PIAA rules, schools can merge athletic teams under specific conditions, including low participation numbers or “lack of success” in a sport.
Michael Barber, chairman of PIAA District 1, which serves Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties, did not immediately respond to questions about the status of the proposed cooperative.
School officials said in the letter that the cooperative has been requested through the PIAA and that exploring the merger “may help create the participation numbers and competitive structure necessary to build a safer and more sustainable football program for our students.”
While Harriton’s varsity season will be suspended, the district is actively exploring maintaining a junior varsity season, according to the letter.
The letter to families noted that “this decision is not a decision to end football in our district.”
“The district remains committed to providing opportunities for football in the future and to identifying a sustainable path forward for our student-athletes and programs,” it stated.
Harriton’s football team played its first regular season game on Aug. 28, losing to Pottstown 53-0. Harriton was scheduled to play Radnor, its first conference game of the season, on Sept. 3.
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Both members of the Eagles from the International Player Pathway — Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru — cleared waivers on Monday and later signed with the Eagles’ practice squad.
Bernard and Weru occupy two spots on the 13-player practice squad the team announced Monday afternoon. The Eagles will be allowed to keep 17 players on the practice unit instead of the normal 16 since they’ll be able to designate one of them as an IPP player.
Bernard is the Eagles’ designated IPP player on the practice squad, according to an updated NFL transactions list, and will not count toward practice squad limits. Previously, teams were able to protect IPP players from being signed away by other teams, but the rules recently changed. IPP players are like any other practice squad player. They can be signed to another team’s active roster at any time.
Roseman stressed what Vic Fangio said earlier in training camp, that all of this is new to both players and they need more time to develop.
Uar Bernard was retained to the Eagles’ practice squad.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“From our perspective, development is real,” Roseman said. “These guys have tremendous ability to be developed. They want to be developed. They have tools in their body. They have great character.”
There was a thought process involved in placing them on waivers, of course, one that included some necessary context.
“We put a lot of time and effort during this week,” Roseman said. “Not only looking into what’s going to be out there, but by taking snapshots of what other teams are seeing in our guys and saying, ‘They don’t have the practices, they don’t have the individual periods, they don’t have these guys in the meeting rooms.’
“Still very excited about them, really glad that they did get through, certainly wasn’t certain about that.”
The initial practice squad the Eagles announced:
DT Uar Bernard (IPP designation)
LB Chance Campbell
WR Britain Covey
DT Gabe Hall
OLB Keyshawn James-Newby
C/G Jake Majors
T John Ojukwu
RB Dameon Pierce
S Maximus Pulley
OLB Mason Reiger
RB Carson Steele
OLB Joshua Weru
S Cole Wisniewski
The Eagles are also reportedly adding tackle Kiran Amegadjie, according to ESPN. The Chicago Bears drafted Amegadjie in the third round in 2024. He has six games of experience under his belt. Amegadjie would be one of two players from outside the organization who are on the practice squad, joining Reiger, who signed with Miami as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin.
Amegadjie would make 14 players on the practice squad, leaving the Eagles with three openings.
The Eagles, who were not awarded any players on waivers Monday, lost four players to waiver claims, more than any other team. The following players were claimed:
Cameron Williams (Atlanta)
Myles Hinton (Cincinnati)
Kapena Gushiken (Indianapolis)
Cameron Latu (New England)
Additionally, safety Andre Sam, who suffered a left leg injury during the preseason finale Friday night, cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said Monday he agreed with President Donald Trump’s call to “Let Data Reign” after the president made a lengthy post criticizing the widespread backlash to data centers.
“There’s nothing more damaging to a Democrat than agreeing with Trump AND data centers — but what’s right is right,” said Fetterman, who has repeatedly angered members of his own party by backing Trump’s agenda.
“We must win the war for AI supremacy over China. They foment the ‘anti’ argument through misinformation,” Fetterman said on X.
The issue has increasingly taken center stage ahead of the midterm election, including in Pennsylvania. Fetterman, who does not face reelection until 2028, blamed China for fueling the public outcry against data center development in the U.S. as the two nations compete in the AI industry.
Fetterman has remained supportive of development even as voter sentiment has turned sharply against the industry. Six in 10 likely Pennsylvania voters said they opposed the construction of data centers to support artificial intelligence in a poll released last week by The Inquirer, New York Times, and Siena University.
Trump made similar arguments on his Truth Social platform earlier in the day, saying that China “could not be happier” with the political movement against data centers.
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor. If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign,” Trump said.
That Fetterman backed the president on data centers may not have come as a surprise to voters who’ve been following the senator’s moves.
Two-thirds of Pennsylvania Democrats who are likely to vote this year believe Fetterman supports Trump too frequently, according to last week’s poll.
Overall, 69% of Democratic voters have an unfavorable opinion of him, which could be trouble if he seeks reelection as a Democrat in 2028.
And Democrats were also the voters most likely to oppose data centers — with 77% opposing their construction in the Pennsylvania poll.
Fetterman’s post in support of data centers comes as the state’s other top Democrat, Gov. Josh Shapiro, has been backing away from his previous support.
Shapiro issued an executive order two weeks ago enacting a host of restrictions for new projects. And the governor has traded attack ads with his Republican opponent Stacy Garrity over who has been more supportive of the industry.
Fetterman, on the other hand, said in a post last week that China would benefit from an overreaction by U.S. politicians.
“I reject the political pandering and hyperbole over data centers or AI doomsdaying,” he said.
Chinatown’s popular Asianfresh Food Market is bringing its fresh produce, seafood, and hard-to-find Asian imports to Cherry Hill.
The specialty market is preparing to open its second location at 2005 Route 70 East, less than two miles away from the newly renovated H Mart.
Like its two-story flagship on 10th Street between Race and Cherry Streets in Philadelphia, the new store will be stocked with specialty products and seasonal items imported from across Asia.
Asianfresh Food Market will be holding a grand opening for the new store on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m., said spokesperson Karen Louie. The details for the event are still being finalized, Louie said, but they are planning to have giveaways, contests, and more to celebrate the store’s opening.
Throughout the summer, the grocer has been posting periodic updates on social media showing stocked shelves and full seafood tanks as they prepare for visitors.
By late last week, the exterior Asianfresh sign was up on the building and rows of branded shopping carts were lined up and waiting for shoppers. A flier indicating that the store is hiring for all departments was taped to the front doors, the view inside blocked by brown construction paper.
Shopping carts are lined up outside of Asianfresh Food Market’s new location in Cherry Hill on Aug. 28, 2026.Lacey Latch
The efforts by both international grocery stores to enhance their offerings in South Jersey reflects the growing demand for these products in the area and nationwide.
The number of Asian residents in Cherry Hill Township grew by 32% between 2014 and 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The openings also come at a time when Asian grocery staples like ghee, miso, chili oils, and more are becoming increasingly popular with non-Asian shoppers.
Sales from the “Asian/ethnic aisle” commonly found in American grocery stores jumped almost four times more than overall sales between April 2023 and April 2024, according to the New York Times, citing data from market research company Circana.
Barrington has introduced three ordinances that would expand, regulate, and tax sales for cannabis businesses.
Kyle Hanson, Barrington’s mayor, said the legislative moves are an effort to make the borough’s International Paper facility, which was set to close Monday, attractive to cannabis companies that could move in.
The Memphis-based company with nearly 200 facilities across the country announced this summer that its Barrington plant would close in the third quarter of 2026 as part of its restructuring plan and lay off 126 workers.
Amy Simpson, an International Paper spokesperson, said Monday was the last production date for the Barrington facility.
While no cannabis business (or others) have approached Barrington about taking over the facility, Hanson said he brought the idea to the borough’s council in the hope that broadening permitted uses could bring more economic development to the closing facility and vacant properties in the district.
“The decision was more about being proactive with our zoning and giving ourselves additional options as we prepare for the loss of a long-time town business,” Hanson said by email.
The package, which had its first reading by Barrington’s council on Aug. 11, would allow cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and delivery establishments, along with cannabis wholesalers and retailers already permitted in the borough, to operate in the manufacturing district. The proposal would allow cannabis delivery companies to work in the business commercial district, too.
The borough would apply a 2% municipal transfer tax to sales by those businesses, except cannabis wholesalers, which would get a 1% tax. One ordinance also sets conditions, including that the facilities would be more than 200 feet away from educational buildings and other cannabis plants and more than 50 feet from residential neighborhoods.
International Paper has other facilities in South Jersey, including in Bellmawr, West Deptford, and Vineland.
Simpson said the site at 100 E. Gloucester Pike isn’t currently on the market, but a sale should come in mid-2027. She did not answer whether an agreement is currently in place for the property.
The ordinances are scheduled for a public hearing and vote on Sept. 8. at a borough council meeting. Hanson said council unanimously agreed to move forward with the ordinances for a vote, so he expects all members to approve.
Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham will get another chance to play in the majors this season. But it won’t be with the Phillies.
With the Phillies deciding to carry a third catcher when active rosters expand to 28 players on Tuesday, they traded Pham to the White Sox for cash considerations, a league source confirmed Monday. Because Pham will be in the White Sox’s organization before Sept. 1, he will be eligible to play in the postseason.
Pham, a 38-year-old right-handed hitter, signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies in June. But the Phillies didn’t promote him from triple A because they have gotten production from righty-hitting outfielders Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz.
In 189 plate appearances for Lehigh Valley, Pham batted .250 with nine doubles, two triples, three homers, and a .772 OPS.
This will be his second stint with the White Sox. He has played for 10 major league teams since he debuted for the Cardinals in 2014.
The first of the five $300 million-plus, 525-foot-long ships built at Hanwha Philly Shipyard has been reassigned to U.S. Navy duties for about six months.
It also comes as shipbuilder Hanwha and construction supervisor Tote Services, which has overseen construction of the five National Security Multi-mission Vessels (NSMVs) in South Philly since 2021, have been seeking contracts to build more of the ships, as work on the lastone draws toward a close next year.
TS Empire State will be sent over Tuesday for 170 days of “temporary federal service,” retired Rear Admiral John A. Okun, president of the Bronx-based Maritime College of the State University of New York, told faculty and staff in a memo Friday, confirming earlier reports from shipping and government sources.
“There is still much that we do not know” about how the ship, which normally carries hundreds of cadets on training voyages, will be used by the government, Okun said.
The memo posted by retired Rear Admiral John A. Okon, president of State University of New York Maritime College, informing faculty and students that their Philadelphia-built training ship, TS Empire State, has been moved to “temporary federal service” starting Sept. 1. Maritime College, State University of New York
‘They should be up for it’
Military commenters linked the move to the U.S. military’s efforts to shuttle supplies to and from its base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and other far-flung stations, after stations in Bahrain and other Arab countries were damaged by Iran earlier this year in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks.
The Navy’s Sealift Command, which carries military equipment and supplies, asked for Empire State and said no other available ship has its capabilities for an undisclosed strategic mission, according to an article Monday in GCaptain, published by merchant marine Capt. John A. Konrad V.
“The ship is likely headed to Diego Garcia,” according to Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian at Campbell University in North Carolina, who reported in social media posts in mid-August that the move was likely.
The Empire State and its sister ships are oceangoing vessels, and “they should be up for it,” said Gary Kim, a shipbuilding and industrial scholar, reserve officer, and Wharton graduate student who as an active-duty Navy lieutenant worked for the unit that manages the base at Diego Garcia, among other installations.
The ship’s removal “is likely to cause anxiety and stress” at the academy, so mental health counselors have been made available to midshipman cadets to help them cope, academy president Okun said in his note.
He pointed out that a previous Empire State training ship — there have been six of that name before the current one — had supported U.S. forces in Somalia in the 1990s, as well as aiding relief work for Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the Jersey Shore in 2012, among other storms.
“We will face whatever comes next together,” he said.
On time and on budget
Empire State was delivered to the Maritime College in the Bronx in 2023. The next ships in its class were sent to academies in Massachusetts and Maine. TS Lone Star was scheduled to leave Philly Shipyard for its new Texas home on Monday.
Empire State’s success on deployment could help determine the future of the construction program, which has kept many of Philadelphia’s workers busy since 2021. The yard now employs around 2,000, which Hanwha hopes to double.
Tote has noted that the program has run modestly overbudget due partly to much higher steel costs added and other factors. Federal officials said it is far closer to target than recent Navy-run shipbuilding programs.
Hanwha’s expansion goals
Hanwha has sought additional contracts to build similar vessels for other federal civilian agencies and as potential replacements for the Navy’s aging hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort.
Hanwha has said it is losing money on the yard and that it will turn a profit only if it can expand ship construction from the current one ship every eight months or so to at least one every few weeks. Its shipyard on Geoje Island, South Korea, produces almost one ship a week, assembly line-fashion in contrast with the expensive ship-by-ship style that has characterized U.S. ship construction in recent decades.
Tote officials have said Hanwha needs more space if it is going to build more government ships in Philadelphia. Officials of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., the city/Chamber of Commerce partnership that finds city properties and public financing for industrial users, say they have been helping Hanwha look for expansion sites nearby. In March, the company canceled a plan to add facilities in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, after it could not reach an agreement with port operator Holt Logistics.
Hanwha last year pledged to invest $5 billion in Philadelphia shipyard facilities. It has so far spent around $200 million, according to company officials.
Hanwha in August offered to spend over $1 billion for Australia-based Austal’s shipyards in Alabama, amid a boom in public and private military shipbuilding fueled by a record U.S. defense budget.
Besides finishing the last of the NSMVs, Hanwha is building three liquefied natural gas-fueled cargo ships for the Matson shipping line, which operates between the U.S., Hawaii, other U.S possessions, and China.
The company has said it would build its own cargo ships if necessary to keep the yard running.
Chris Johnson, principal of Science Leadership Academy at Beeber, looked at the students in front of him — 10th and 11th graders at Parkway West, a school that’s closing in June.
“What’s coming up for you?” Johnson asked them.
“Division,” one student said plainly.
SLA Beeber won’t be doing that, Johnson said. On the first day of school last week, Johnson told his students if they were going tohave issuesaccepting the Parkway West kids coming next year, they could leave.
“We don’t do stepbrothers, stepsisters. We do family. Ain’t no division. We’re family,” said Johnson.
The conversation came as Philadelphia School District officials toured SLA Beeber to tout a new process for managing school closings.
Applications opened Monday for transition teams that will affect how changes will happen at 50 schools that will be closed or beginning phaseouts at the end of the 2026-27 school year, and those receiving students from those schools in 2027-28.
Ten Parkway West students traveled to SLA Beeber Monday to get a preview: tours of the school, a sit-down with Johnson, shaking hands with Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr., school board members, and others.
“We’ve got to do some things differently in Philadelphia to address the fact that we have a 65% occupancy rate across the district, which means 35% of our seats in our buildings in the district-operated schools are empty,” Watlington said at a news conference in a third-floor classroom.
“We understand that for some communities this is very hard, but we want to make sure that we are hearing them and we’re providing as much support as we can,” Warthen-Canty said. “The red carpet, white-glove treatment Dr. Watlington talked about, that’s what we want to make sure our principals, our staff, our students, and our families have.”
Each transition committee will have about 20 members. Applications, available through the district’s website, will be open through Sept. 18. Those who are selected to sit on committees will be notified by Oct. 1, with work expected to begin the week of Oct. 12.
‘There’s a lot of uncertainty’
When Parkway West first showed up on the list of possible school closings, principal William Brown and Johnson of SLA Beeber began meeting regularly, they said.
William Brown (center, speaking at podium), principal of Parkway West, speaks at a news conference at SLA Beeber. Brown’s school is closing at the end of the school year, and its students will be sent to SLA Beeber.Kristen A. Graham / Staff
“I’d be lying if I said this was an easy time for the Parkway West community,” Brown said Monday. “There’s a lot of uncertainty out there for the people involved.”
SLA Beeber enrolled 533 students in grades 5 through 12 last year; Parkway West had 151 students in grades 9 through 12.
While Parkway West students will have the opportunity to go to SLA Beeber, most staff will be force transferred to other schools, without a chance to follow their students. Still, Brown said, the focus is on children.
“These are our young people, we really have to make sure they’re OK,” said Brown, who said the SLA Beeber and Parkway West communities “are united” around that goal.
Later, SLA Beeber students Mohamed Ali, 15, and Sebastian Delgado-Colón, 16, showed Watlington, board president Reginald Streater, board member Whitney Jones, and others around their school. Other SLA Beeber classmates took Parkway West students on a tour.
What do you think of the coming changes, the dignitaries asked Ali and Delgado-Colón.
“I can’t imagine what they’re feeling, going into a completely new environment,” said Delgado-Colón.
At first, Ali said, he thought about what the change would mean for SLA Beeber students.
“Our teachers are very one-on-one with us. Is this going to change that? But we’re going to make the best of it,” said Ali.
“We were looking at it in more of a tense way — now we’re looking at it as a net positive,” said Delgado-Colón.
“It can build on community,” Ali added.
Philadelphia Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr., school board member Whitney Jones, and Science Leadership Academy at Beeber students Sebastian Delgado-Colon and Mohamed Ali look at SLA Beeber’s engineering lab. Delgado-Colon and Ali gave Philadelphia School District officials a tour of the school, which will receive students from Parkway West after Parkway West closes at the end of the school year.Kristen A. Graham / Staff
District officials have stressed that closing schools will enhance resources citywide.
The cooperation between Parkway West and SLA Beeber, Watlington said, is a hopeful one.
“It shows that we can make tough decisions and we can do it in a way that all of us absolutely can become winners and not losers,” the superintendent said. “Our gain doesn’t have to necessarily come at anybody’s expense.”
Less than 24 hours after the Eagles announced their 2026 roster, The Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg conducted an AMA (ask me anything) session with Eagles Reddit users, discussing topics including the quarterback plan, the possibility of general manager Howie Roseman making a deal or two, and what’s going on at tight end (including the possible return of fan favorite Zach Ertz).
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
What do you think of the roster? Any mistakes? Many concerns? How much are we winning the Super Bowl by?
Neiburg: Well, I’m both surprised and not surprised. In my final 53-man roster prediction that I submitted Friday night when the game went final, I had the Eagles keeping four quarterbacks. Just didn’t see a trade materializing over the weekend.
Mistakes? Howie Roseman has won two Super Bowls and I’m, well, me. So I can’t say there are any mistakes.
That being said, I did find a few things surprising. I didn’t expect both IPP players to get waived. I had both on my final 53, and I thought Joshua Weru was basically a lock. I don’t expect either to be claimed when waivers process today (Monday), but I thought the Eagles would avoid the risk, especially with Weru. (Editor’s note: Neither player was claimed and have been listed on the practice squad.)
Joshua Weru (46) being exposed to waivers was a mild surprise. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
I know EJ Jenkins is a great blocker, and Eli Stowers is a bit behind, but I didn’t expect Jenkins to be on the roster.
I will say I’m pleasantly surprised Elijah Moore made the team. I had them cutting him simply because he’s a vested veteran that wouldn’t have needed to clear waivers, and they could have brought him on the practice squad and promised him a gameday elevation. But Moore outperformed Hollywood Brown during camp and good camps deserve to be rewarded. Plus, he could’ve signed anywhere else if the Eagles released him, too, and given their question marks in a world without A.J. Brown, keeping six makes some sense.
Re: the last question … I wouldn’t be shocked if the Eagles won the Super Bowl. The defense is that good. But — spoiler alert — I’ll have them losing in the NFC title game to the Los Angeles Rams when our season preview comes out.
Which cut surprised you the most based on what you saw day to day throughout training camp?
Neiburg: I was a little bit surprised by the IPP guys just based on the risk and whatnot. But that’s not really the spirit of your question. Besides them, I’m not really sure. I did nail 50 of the 53 in my final projection. I guess I’ll say Cameron Latu being cut in favor of EJ Jenkins was a bit surprising, but Jenkins is a really good blocker.
Any positions you see the team adding someone at before opening day or do you think the roster is set?
Neiburg: I do not think the roster is set. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they brought in players at two or more positions between now and opening day.
Let’s list some spots.
Tight end: Eli Stowers doesn’t look ready to play NFL football right now. That’s not to say the pick is a bust. It’s way too early to say that, and anyone who believes he is a bust right now is being hyperbolic. But besides Dallas Goedert, there’s not another reliable weapon in the passing game in the room right now. Johnny Mundt and EJ Jenkins are block-first tight ends. Those are important in this new offense, but what good is 12 or 13 personnel if the defense knows one or two of the tight ends isn’t a real threat in the passing game?
Could Andy Dalton (14) still prove expendable?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Quarterback: Is it possible the QB2 isn’t on the roster right now? I think so. Not saying it’s likely the Eagles trot out on opening day with a quarterback not named [Andy] Dalton or [Tanner] McKee backing up Hurts, but there’s definitely a chance. It’s easy to overreact to preseason games. But they are relatively meaningless and only one small part of the evaluation process. Fans don’t get to watch practice. I can tell you, though, that everything you’ve read about practice is true. Neither player was that good. If I’m the Eagles, I’m not sure I want to enter a season with Super Bowl aspirations and have either one of those dudes as my primary backup.
Safety: It’s still the thinnest position on the roster. They kept only three guys on the initial 53. But because Cooper DeJean will be on the field there at base, the need for multiple reserves isn’t really there. Still, besides 30-year-old Marcus Epps, there’s a dearth of experience at that spot. Drew Mukuba played 11 games last year as a rookie and is coming off a season-ending injury. Michael Carter II has primarily been a slot corner. DeJean might be an all-world defensive back, but he hasn’t really played safety at the NFL level.
Who was the ‘Camp MVP’ that stats or preseason games might not have fully captured, but who consistently stood out in practice drills and scrimmage situations?
Neiburg: Jalyx Hunt probably was the most consistent performer in camp (and you definitely didn’t see him play in a preseason game). Moro Ojomo was also a wrecker, and Jalen Carter, too. Based on what else was going on around him, Elijah Moore had a really good camp, too. Darius Cooper gets a lot of love, but Moore was super consistent throughout camp I thought, and he was deserving of a roster spot.
Is a Nick Sirianni and Zach Ertz reunion in the offing?David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Is there a world where Zach Ertz ends up on this roster, maybe after Week 1? What are the implications for the other tight ends if it happens?
Neiburg: There is definitely a world. My former Inquirer colleague EJ Smith, who now works at PHLY, reported that a return to the Eagles is possible.
If it happens, my guess is it happens after Week 1. Why? The Eagles wouldn’t need to guarantee his salary if he’s not on the roster for Week 1. If Ertz doesn’t work out, it’s not a waste of resources. Plus, this scenario allows them to play a game and see where they’re at, too.
I do think there’s a need for a second reliable pass catcher at the position given that Eli Stowers needs some more seasoning. The implications of signing Ertz or trading for a tight end for the others would be one of them gets cut (looking at you, EJ Jenkins).
Which wide receivers will be on the field most frequently for Jalen Hurts?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
What is the expected WR depth chart? We know Devonta [Smith] is locked at WR1, [Dontayvion] Wicks seems to be 2. Has [Makai] Lemon done enough yet to get WR3?
Neiburg: Good question. I’m not sure there’s a firm answer yet, but I’d guess the depth chart looks like: Smith, Wicks, Lemon, Brown, Cooper, Moore. Not sure there’s a need to distinguish between WR2 and WR3 for Lemon, who will mostly line up in the slot. I don’t see him being on the field often in two-receiver sets.
Do you think Uar Bernard or Joshua Weru will provide any long term value to the team? What’s your record prediction? I say 12-5
Neiburg: The odds say no. But they both have athletic profiles worth trying to develop, and I think the Eagles would be thrilled if both cleared waivers and they had a chance to keep working with them. That’s the most likely outcome. It’s hard to imagine another team bringing either into their building on signing them to their 53, knowing they aren’t ready to play and won’t be for a while.
But the Eagles will only be able to designate one of them as their IPP player and theoretically will only be able to control one of them that way.
If I had to guess, I’d say Weru has the better chance at playing NFL snaps than Bernard.
I’m with you at 12-5, and I think the season ends in a conference title game loss to the Rams.
Will Jonathan Greenard be ready to make his Eagles debut in Week 1?David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Any concern at linebacker with the final number that made the roster?
Neiburg: If we’re talking off-ball linebacker? Absolutely not. Arguably the best position group on the team. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. would start on some teams, and Smael Mondon is progressing nicely and is a reliable special teamer (like Trotter). I didn’t see a reason for the Eagles to keep five off-ball linebackers, no matter how much Vic Fangio professed his love of Chance Campbell. Plus, UDFA Deontae Lawson might’ve been the one pushing for that fifth spot anyway.
If we’re talking outside linebacker/edge rusher, I do think there’s some concern entering the season. Jonathan Greenard may not be ready for Week 1, but since the Eagles didn’t put him on PUP/IR, they do expect him back within the first four games. Good sign. And Jalyx Hunt had an excellent camp and may reach double-digit sacks this year.
But beyond the top two, I think there’s some question marks. Nolan Smith Jr. is coming off another injury and has been passed on the depth chart by Hunt. Arnold Ebiketie is on a sort of prove-it one-year deal. A.J. Epenesa was signed off the street in June after things didn’t work out when he tried to sign with Cleveland. There’s some upside overall in the room, but there’s a low floor, too.
Saquon Barkley’s evolution in the Sean Mannion offense is worth watching. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Do you think the run game will improve this year? If so why?
Neiburg: Yes. If only because it can only go up?
Joking aside, the offensive line seems to be healthier right now. Cam Jurgens is moving around great and says he feels much better after getting his stem cell treatment in the offseason. Lane Johnson looks good, too. I still would be concerned about Landon Dickerson getting through the season if I were the Eagles, and they’re probably thrilled Drew Kendall is progressing well.
Besides the health of Saquon Barkley’s blockers, the wide zone blocking scheme should favor him and most of the linemen. The Eagles have an athletic bunch up front. They have some capable blockers at tight end in Johnny Mundt and EJ Jenkins and even Dallas Goedert.
It’s hard to imagine Barkley not having more holes to run through this year, and given the wider nature of some of these running plays, he should find himself in more advantageous situations with the ball in his hands.
A pivotal week for the Phillies begins in the desert with three games against the Diamondbacks that will have implications in the National League wild-card race.
It’s a good time, then, to check in with Arizona general manager Mike Hazen.
Hazen, nearing the end of his 10th season at the helm of the Diamondbacks, joined Phillies Extra to discuss several topics. Among them: the situation involving star second baseman Ketel Marte, who unexpectedly left the team a few weeks ago, went on the injured list with an inflamed knee, and was spotted at a Phoenix-area casino.
The Phillies begin the week with a 4½-game lead over the Diamondbacks in the wild-card race. And Marte is expected to return to Arizona’s lineup, spicing up a series that already has plenty of sizzle.
Hazen also recalled the Diamondbacks’ upset of the Phillies in the 2023 NL Championship Series, playing in the same division with the Goliath Dodgers, and more.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcaston Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Q: The Phillies still have scars from the 2023 NLCS because not only did the Diamondbacks demystify that home-field advantage by winning Games 6 and 7 in Philly, but I think your scouts and your pitching people at that time also provided maybe a little bit of a blueprint for how to attack that lineup. I wonder about the effect of that series on your organization in terms of setting a course for going for it every year. How much did that series and that run shape you guys?
A: Not a ton. That’s been our mindset since we’ve been here. I mean, we won 52 games in 2021, and we were trying to compete that year. I think that sort of puts the exclamation point on how bad we were that season. We’ve never rebuilt since we’ve been here. We went for it in Year 1, made the playoffs in ’17. We were in first place in September of ’18, and just missed the playoffs in ’19. And then, obviously, kind of the world shut down for a couple years, and things kind of went into chaos there for a little bit for us.
We’ve gone for it every single year. That’s not going to change. We try to position ourselves to do that every year with regard to having enough young talent coming through to be able to use the payroll how we need to. Been very fortunate to get the money we have, but that series didn’t really change a ton for us. And with all due respect, I’m not sure that we had any sort of blueprint. We just had a bunch of guys that went out and played really good baseball and knocked off the Phillies that one time, and it was amazing. We still talk about it everyday because it was definitely a shining [moment]. We know what it was like to go into that stadium and be able to take two games from them — nearly impossible. I know nobody was giving us even a chance, and we respect what we were able to do.
The Phillies are perennially a great team, always have been for as long as we’ve been here. And they’re always going to be. They have superstar players — I don’t really know how you get Kyle Schwarber out. I’m not sure we have any type of blueprint to do anything like that. And now with [Brandon] Marsh and [Alec] Bohm and those guys starting to rake, that lineup is incredible. It always has been incredible, and they have incredible pitching, and they’re just a really talented team. … They’re well run, and they were built well. So they’re going to be as formidable as anybody in the race. We understand our challenges. We know where we stand in the pecking order, but we’re going to go out and fight right until the very end.
Ketel Marte is expected to return to Arizona’s lineup this week.Daniel Kucin Jr.
Q: There’s never a good time to have to deal with anything involving one of your best players, and frankly, one of the best players in the National League when he’s at his best. But how tricky is the timing of all of this coming with Ketel Marte as we hit the stretch run, and you’re jockeying for a wild card, and now you’ve got to navigate questions about some off-field stuff?
A: … I’ve spent a lot of time down there. I spend every minute with [manager] Torey [Lovullo] talking through a lot of these things. Again, we talk to the players. I think we all are resolved to focus on playing and winning baseball games. This team has dealt with … we’ve lost four of our five starting pitchers to start the season for the better part of the entire year. We’ve had enormous amounts of injuries of players being out. We’ve relied on half of our team on a given night as guys that started the year in triple A we had no intention of putting on our team. The guy that hit a walk-off jack last night [Ryan Waldschmidt] was in triple A starting the season with no real intention of not having him develop in triple A for the season, and that’s just the way the season’s kind of gone for us.
I’m not sure that there’s a lot that this team hasn’t had thrown at it that it’s not going to be able to respond to. I actually see it as a huge strength of what I’ve watched. I think Torey has kept the car in between the lines on the road, even though [there] have been constantly some errors — some unforced errors — some injury-related things that you just have to deal with, and every team has to deal with adversity. You don’t know about all the adversity all the other teams are dealing with. What were the Phillies dealing with when they made the managerial change? They were terrible. Now look at them. Every team has to deal with those types of things during the course of a season.
The teams that are able to respond to those things are the teams that are going to be able to … when the lights shine the brightest in the playoffs, those are the teams I think that have the most resiliency. And you remember back in ’23, we glorify it now in our walls … When we walked out of Philadelphia after Game 1 and 2, getting trounced in Game 2. I don’t think anyone was looking at that series like the Phillies had their backs against the wall and didn’t look like an unbelievable team. And you see how those things change. So those things happen. We had to go down 2-0 and face getting blown out in Game 2 and then recovering. It’s that type of resiliency that allows you to figure out ways to win in October, and we’ve had a lot thrown at us, so we’ll see where that takes us.
Mike Hazen says he embraces the challenge of competing against Shohei Ohtani and the mega-payroll Dodgers in the National League West.Kyusung Gong
Q: Can you describe the challenge of going into every season looking up at the Goliath of our sport, the Dodgers, and knowing that you’ve got to go through them just to get out of the NL West?
A: I’m grateful for it, frankly. I don’t think you can truly understand the type of team that you can be until you have to go toe to toe with them all the time. We’re fortunate to have to do that. And the Padres as well. We’re fortunate to play in the division we do … people talk about getting to the playoffs. Fine, you want to win in the playoffs. I think you have to be able to go into Dodger Stadium and not get rattled. That you have to be able to do that. You have to be able to walk into Philly and not get rattled. Those people were standing for four straight games, never sat down, up or down, and you have to be able to deal with that. And if you don’t think that plays psychologically on players, not all the players, but some of the guys that you will be counting on in October, you’re crazy. It does. That effect is real.
And I think that you have to be able to handle those things in the most critical situations when things don’t bounce a certain way, and you have to be able to recover from that unfortunate event that happens. I feel like we get tested year in and year out, and there’s no excuses, and I like that. And I think ultimately, if we’re going to be successful and someday win the World Series, that’s going to be one of the reasons we do. … Yeah, it’s very challenging. I understand it. We understand it. The payroll disparities are the payroll disparities. There are some hidden advantages. It’s not a unilateral advantage. It doesn’t mean we can’t win, and we know that. So we go out there every day to compete, and we’re not going to back down from anybody.
