Drayage Brokersin Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia 76ers have moved on from Doc Rivers after three seasons on the job following another second-round exit. Rivers was 154-82 in three seasons in Philadelphia, but he wasn’t able to guide the Sixers out of the second round in any of those seasons.

It isn’t necessarily his fault. In 2021, they had to deal with Ben Simmons passing up a critical dunk late in the Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In 2022, James Harden and Joel Embiid were dealing with injuries. In 2023, Harden and Embiid weren’t able to deliver in Game 7.

However, that’s just the nature of the business and the coach will get the blame most of the time. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra gave his thoughts on the Sixers moving on from Rivers:

It’s disturbing. Doc’s a Hall of Famer. That’s what Andy (Elisburg) always says, too, you get past the first round, there’s gonna be some really good teams. Great players, great organizations, great coaching staff. They’re going to lose just by the nature of this beast. There’s only so many teams that can advance. It’s just a really hard thing to do. Yeah, it’s been a tough couple of weeks hearing the news of some just really surprising firings.

Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat Head Coach speaks on Doc Rivers being fired pic.twitter.com/g4M4aEJZUR

— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) May 17, 2023

Spoelstra is right about the firings around the league. It’s understandable because it is the way this business goes. The coach is always the first one to go when things go wrong, but Rivers did a lot of great things for the Sixers during his time here.

The same goes for the likes of Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks and Monty Williams with the Phoenix Suns. Those two, like Rivers, did a lot of great things for the teams they coached. It’s hard to win in this league, but it will be interesting to see how Philadelphia handles its coaching search to replace Rivers.

Sixers reveal Joel Embiid shocked to hear Doc Rivers was being let go

Daryl Morey talks Sixers letting go of Doc Rivers, new coaching search

SAN FRANCISCO -- It felt like the perfect moment for Trea Turner to exorcise a season’s worth of frustrations.

He thought the same thing, too.

Turner stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning in Wednesday afternoon’s 7-4 loss to the Giants at Oracle Park. He had a couple of hits earlier in the game, but it is no secret he has not been playing like he or others have expected. A loud, game-changing hit in San Francisco could be the tonic he has needed to get going.

Turner struck out swinging on four pitches to end the game, sending the Phillies to their fourth consecutive loss to fall to 20-23.

“It’s tough,” Turner said. “This game’s not easy. It’s really humbling. You come into the year thinking you’re on a high from last year, we’ve got some new pieces, it’s going to go great, but it kicks you right in the mouth. We’ve got to figure it out.”

Hot, cold, hot, cold. It is the story of the 2023 Phillies. They preceded this four-game losing streak with a five-game winning streak, a six-game losing streak and a four-game winning streak.

It cannot continue like this.

“It’s a million things,” Turner said. “You can point at individual play or offense or defense or whatever it is. But at the end of the day, you’ve just got to find ways to win games and be more consistent. We have the talent. We have the mentality. It’s just a matter of actually doing it. Stop talking about it and start doing it. I feel like we’ve been talking, talking, talking, the first 40 games. It’s time to play better.”

Taijuan Walker allowed four hits, two walks and four runs in the first inning before Phillies manager Rob Thomson pulled him after 40 pitches. The Phillies on Monday could not get opener Connor Brogdon through the first inning, either. It is the first time two Phillies starters pitched less than an inning in the same series since Sept. 7-8, 1964, when Rick Wise and Art Mahaffey could not escape the first inning in consecutive games in a series against the Dodgers at Connie Mack Stadium.

(Those starts came 13 days before the ’64 team’s epic collapse.)

There is no question Walker (3-2, 6.53 ERA) needs to pitch better, but perhaps the most puzzling thing about this team’s play through 43 games is the inconsistency of the offense. Entering the season, almost everybody expected the Phillies to punish opposing pitching on an almost daily basis. Some days they have. Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman said just last week that the Phillies have the deepest lineup in the National League.

But in the last four games they went 2-for-39 with runners in scoring position.

“It’s not good, that’s for sure,” Thomson said. “But I think that stuff evens out eventually.”

Thomson said he has reminded players to not try to do too much.

It might be easier said than done, of course. Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million contract in December. He entered the season with a career .302/.355/.487 slash line and a 122 OPS+. He finished Wednesday with a season .262/.308/.399 slash line. His .707 OPS is his lowest mark through 43 games to start a season in his career.

“It’s not doing too much,” Turner said. “I know I’m a good player, but it’s things I’ve been good at in the past I’m not doing well. Two-strike hitting. I’m striking out way too much. It’s little things. It’s more annoying than anything for me individually.”

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Last September, the Phillies came to Oracle Park and got swept in a three-game series. They lost six of seven games at that point to fall into the third NL Wild Card spot. Reporters entered the clubhouse afterward. Kyle Schwarber saw them and motioned to them that everything would be OK.

He said he felt the same way Wednesday.

“There’s obvious frustration,” Schwarber said. “We obviously want to play better, but there’s still so much more to go. We feel like we haven’t really hit the stride yet. We’re going to get to that point. But we’ve got to keep fighting. We’ve got to keep figuring out a way to get there. Is it frustrating? Sure. Was it frustrating last year? Sure. It wasn’t like it was all peaches and cream and we were happy. But our job is to find a way to get there.”

They will try again beginning Friday night against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.

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Todd Zolecki has covered the Phillies since 2003, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook .

Amid all the comings and going for the Philadelphia Eagles roster this offseason, one sizable loss has gone somewhat unheralded.

Not in the eyes of center Jason Kelce, however, as he doesn't believe there's any replacing guard Isaac Seumalo, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason following seven seasons in Philly.

"I think he's one of the best guards in the NFL, and I think he has been," Kelce told reporters Wednesday. "I think he's one of the most consistent players I've ever been around, one of the most consistent people I've ever been around. So we're not going to replace Isaac, there's going to be someone new in there, and they're going to have their attributes that they're going to excel with, and I'm looking forward to seeing who does a really good job with that."

It's likely to be second-year lineman Cam Jurgens who will be tasked with filling the spot vacated by Seumalo, who put pen to paper on a three-year, $24 million deal with the Steelers in March.

Seumalo's coming off what was likely his best season, as he started every regular-season game for only the second time in his career, largely due to injury. The 29-year-old saw his 2020 and 2021 campaigns end on injured reserve due to knee and Lisfranc injuries, respectively.

A Pro Bowl alternate last season, Seumalo was an often overlooked contributor on one of the very best O-lines in football. Now he'll be looked on to quickly improve a Steelers line that's struggled in past years.

Kelce believes the NFL's other Keystone State squad found a gem in free agency.

"Isaac is a really, really special player," Kelce said. "I know we've said that here for a long time, and I still don't think people really truly grasp what he did for our room. And me personally, I think he's probably the smartest player I've ever been around. Really, really gifted physically, mentally, across the board. So I think the Steelers are getting a steal, that's a good pun, I guess."

Whether it's Jurgens, rookie Tyler Steen or anyone else, Kelce has confidence that somebody will step in and step up next to him and opposite Landon Dickerson. Over the years, that just seems to be the case in Philly and a monumental factor in the franchise's success. Finding a suitable successor to Seumalo will be pivotal in the Eagles hopes for repeating as NFC champions, regardless of the amount of attention it garners.

"We have a number of contenders, I mean the Eagles are always drafting people and bringing in talent on the offensive line, and it's something for me as an offensive lineman that I sure appreciate, because it's a unit, and a lot of times it's only going to be as good as its weakest link," Kelce said. "We've had a lot of really good players, and we've been able to weather injuries, and guys have gone on and had success elsewhere, so I look forward to being in the room, going through this offseason, training camp, and season, and figuring out what this unit's about."

Still, the five-time All-Pro didn't hesitate to underscore Wednesday that the Eagles were dealt a big loss this offseason, and the Steelers added a stellar talent.

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean already had eyes toward the 2023 season in the immediate aftermath of February’s stinging 38-35 loss to Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

“It fuels me heavy. I’m probably going to take a couple days to get my body right and then I’m at it,” he said at his locker stall inside State Farm Stadium.

“I don’t plan on waiting another seven, eight years before I make another Super Bowl. I’m trying to be the best that I can to get this team to another Super Bowl and win it.”

Philadelphia’s fate lies partly in the hands of Dean and his former Georgia teammates -- a group that includes second-year defensive tackle Jordan Davis and three rookies: defensive lineman Jalen Carter, edge rusher Nolan Smith and cornerback Kelee Ringo. They were all part of the 2021 Georgia defense that allowed just 10.2 points per game en route to the first of two straight national titles.

The Eagles’ defense was legit in its own right last season, leading the league in sacks (70) and finishing tied for third in takeaways (27) to help Philly to a 14-3 regular season record that set up its Super Bowl run.

But the unit experienced significant personnel losses this offseason. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles also lost both of their starting safeties (C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Epps) and linebackers (T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White) in free agency.

With quarterback Jalen Hurts now making over $50 million per season, Philly needs some of its younger, less expensive players to step into key roles.

That starts with Dean, who is projected to claim one of the starting linebacker spots. The 2021 Butkus Award winner was largely relegated to a special teams role as a rookie. He played only 34 defensive snaps and still managed 13 tackles.

Davis, the Eagles’ first-round pick in 2022, got off to a solid start last season but was sidelined by a high ankle sprain in late October and settled into a supporting role upon return. He’s in line for a big bump in playing time with Hargrave gone and veterans Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph not currently under contract.

“We knew when we were drafting them last year we were drafting them because we thought they were the best players, not necessarily because they were the guys ready to fill spots at a position of need,” general manager Howie Roseman said back in February of his top ’21 picks.

“We even saw it this year when we put young players in spots and how they stepped up. I don't think that's something we're afraid of.”

Carter, taken ninth overall by the Eagles in April, likely would have gone even higher if not for some off-field concerns. He is expected to jump right into the interior line rotation along with veteran Fletcher Cox, Davis and Milton Williams. Smith, selected 30th overall, could slide into the No. 2 SAM linebacker role behind Haason Reddick, while Ringo, a fourth-round pick, will likely start as a reserve behind Darius Slay and James Bradberry.

There are now six former Georgia players on the Eagles, including recently acquired running back D’Andre Swift, and the connection between the group seems to be real. Dean was Smith’s former roommate and was at Smith’s draft party when he got selected by Philadelphia.

During their joint introductory press conference, Smith referred to Carter as his brother. On the field at Georgia, Smith said Carter knew what he was thinking just by a simple shake of the head. Dean and Davis spoke of a similar harmony and friendship when they were drafted last year.

“I'd say it was amazing for me just because not only one of my favorite [teammates in Carter], not only one of my most athletic teammates here, man, we have a lot of boys, a lot of Georgia Philly Dawgs,” Smith said, “and it's going to be great.”

Questions remain about this year’s Eagles defense, including how the change in defensive coordinators from Jonathan Gannon to Sean Desai will impact the group. And it’s to be determined whether the Georgia standouts can replicate their collegiate success. Dean and Davis joined a loaded roster last season, affecting their opportunities to a degree, but it’s safe to say neither exploded onto the NFL scene as rookies. The same could be said for some of the other Georgia standouts from that class including top overall pick Travon Walker and fellow first-round pick Devonte Wyatt. (Others, like receiver George Pickens and linebacker Quay Walker, had more of an immediate impact.)

But the way the Eagles see it, there are worse strategies than taking many of the top players from a historic collegiate defense and reuniting them on the pro level -- a move they hope will help keep the defense championship-caliber in 2023.

“You see those guys play in the biggest games, on the biggest stage against the best competition, and so it's an easier [evaluation],” Roseman said. “You've got guys coming from a college town to the NFL for the first time, don't have classes, they're on their own, all the things that we've talked about before.

“But it takes the part out of the big jump in competition because the guys that they're playing against are the guys that are playing on Sundays.”

Eagles 2022 second-round pick Cam Jurgens barely played on offense during his rookie season.

Jason Kelce has no doubt that Jurgens would have been just fine if he did.

“Cam is really, really talented,” Kelce said on Wednesday about his eventual replacement from Nebraska. “Extremely physically gifted, hard-working. The strength-to-weight ratio that he has is phenomenal. Very, very strong for his size. Extremely explosive, smart, blue-collar, lunch-pail-type kid. …

“I think I speak for everybody in the building, he was ready to play last year. He could have gone in there and done an extremely good job playing center last year. I feel very confident in that.”

The reason Jurgens didn’t get much time on offense last season (just 35 snaps) was because Kelce stayed healthy, starting all 17 regular season game and the Eagles’ three games in the playoffs. It basically became a redshirt year for Jurgens.

But just because Kelce decided to put off retirement and return for a 13th season in 2023, it doesn’t mean Jurgens will get another redshirt season. Because right guard Isaac Seumalo left in free agency, creating an important vacancy on one of the NFL’s best offenses.

Jurgens will have to fight for that job — especially against third-round pick Tyler Steen — but he has a very good chance to win it.

“He’s going to get a chance to compete at right guard and he’s going to get a chance to play center still,” Kelce said. “The future is extremely bright for him. I think he can blossom into one of the best centers in the league, easily, one day. And I think he can play right guard. So we’re going to get a chance to watch that.”

While the Eagles are still early in their offseason program — OTAs don’t even begin for another couple weeks — Kelce has already seen some improvement from Jurgens as a guard.

The initial plan last season was for Jurgens to cross-train at guard during his rookie training camp but that was pushed back when Kelce needed minor elbow surgery in the summer. Jurgens then got all the first-team reps at center, which was good for him but prolonged his cross-training. During last season, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland worked Jurgens at guard more and more.

And now in Year 2, there’s a very good chance Jurgens could be starting at right guard between Kelce and Lane Johnson.

“So far, (Jurgens) looks great,” Kelce said. “Only in shorts and stuff like that. But sets and everything, you can tell he’s been working. Last year, he played a little bit of guard, scout team and 1-on-1s and stuff. But obviously as he’s gotten more reps, he’s gotten used to a new stance and using your hands just a little bit different. You can see he’s put in some work this offseason.”

The Eagles drafted Steen early in the third round out of Alabama this year but you’d have to think that Jurgens has a leg up just because of experience. But that training camp battle should be one of the most exciting on a team that again has Super Bowl aspirations.

And because Kelce is 35, he’ll probably get several veteran days off in training camp, setting up a way for Jurgens to get reps at both guard and center this summer.

Kelce has always spoken highly about his former teammate Seumalo, who signed with the Steelers this offseason. Kelce said he thought Pittsburgh got a steal — the pun wasn’t lost on him either — in free agency.

“He’s one of the most consistent players I’ve ever been around, one of the most consistent people I’ve ever been around,” Kelce said. “So we’re not going to replace Isaac. There’s going to be someone new in there and they’re going to have their attributes that there’re going to excel with. Looking forward to seeing who does a really, really good job with that.”

There’s a good chance that will be Jurgens. And then maybe the rest of us will get to see what Kelce sees in him.

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