The Ringer's Philly Special

The 2023 NFL draft is less than a month away, and Ben and Sheil have been knee-deep in their research of this year's top prospects. The Eagles currently hold the no. 10 overall pick and have some voids to fill after an offseason that saw a few key members of the team depart for other teams. Will the Eagles take a splash at 10 with Texas RB Bijan Robinson? Would they prefer to add corner depth with Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez? Would Jalen Carter’s off-the-field issues prevent the Eagles from taking the elite pass rusher?Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joel Embiid sat out Monday night against the Denver Nuggets and fellow MVP candidate Nikola Jokic due to a calf injury. Did he hurt his MVP chances by not playing in the game? Are the Sixers at fault for playing him in back-to-back games against the Warriors and Suns on their road trip? Chris and Raheem aren’t particularly happy with how the Sixers handled the situation. Is this the best team of the Joel Embiid era?Hosts: Chris Ryan and Raheem PalmerProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Phillies season opener is just one week away, and Sheil is so excited that he had to call his boys James Seltzer and Jack Fritz from the ‘High Hopes’ podcast and SportsRadio 94 WIP to preview the season. When will two-time MVP Bryce Harper return to the lineup? Will Trea Turner make a run at MVP in his first season with the Phillies? Plus, who’s currently the best athlete in Philadelphia? Is it Embiid, Harper, or Hurts?Who's the top Philly athlete? @SheilKapadia @daboulcliffHost: Sheil KapadiaGuests: James Seltzer and Jack FritzProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sixers currently sit third in the Eastern Conference behind the Bucks and the Celtics, and have won nine of their last 10 games. James Harden suffered an apparent foot injury in Monday’s loss to the Bulls and Joel Embiid suffered a calf injury in Wednesday’s victory against the Bulls. How concerned should Sixers fans be as they head toward the playoffs? Is this the same ole hurt Sixers limping into the postseason, or is this nothing to be concerned about? Raheem and Sheil discuss that and how the team has looked in this recent run.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Raheem PalmerProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Eagles lost S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Lions. Gardner-Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions for a one-year, below-market deal worth $8 million, which had fans scratching their heads as to why the Eagles couldn’t retain the 2022 NFL interceptions leader. Sheil and Ben discuss what possibly led to Gardner-Johnson’s departure and talk about his agents tweeting information about what the Eagles offered him. Which free agent safeties should the Eagles look for to fill the void? Plus, they look at other signings and departures, including backup QB Marcus Mariota, OL Isaac Seumalo, and DB Greedy Williams.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All-Pro CB Darius Slay will remain with the Eagles after reports earlier on Wednesday said that he and the team were parting ways. Sheil and Ben discuss what led to Slay remaining on the squad and the ramifications it will have on the salary cap. One of the Eagles' longest-tenured players in franchise history, Fletcher Cox, will also re-sign with the team on a “hometown discount" deal, but was this in fact a discount, or is this what the market dictated? Also, Joel has been on such a tear that he is now the odds-on MVP favorite.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sixers are currently on a six-game winning streak following a victory Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which Joel Embiid scored 36 points and collected 18 rebounds. Chris and Raheem discuss Embiid possibly being the best Sixer they’ve ever watched, and how well James Harden has grasped the offense and controlled the game against the Cavs. On the flip side, how concerned should fans be about the defense at the start of games?Hosts: Chris Ryan and Raheem PalmerProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the second day of the legal tampering period, the Eagles re-signed All-Pro CB James Bradberry to a three-year, $38 million deal and added former Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny. Sheil and Ben discuss Tuesday’s moves and try to decipher if there’s any validity to the Darius Slay trade rumors. Does Bradberry re-signing indicate that Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will return next season? Also, A.J. Brown sparked a big fruit discussion on Twitter, which had Sheil, Ben, and Cliff wondering what the best fruits are.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the very early stages of free agency, the Eagles have so far lost three defensive starters from last season: DT Javon Hargrave, LB T.J. Edwards, and S Marcus Epps; however, team leaders and still very productive players C Jason Kelce and DE Brandon Graham are returning. Sheil and Ben break down the key losses and additions, who they should try to retain from last year’s team, and free agents on the market they should pursue.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sheil finally joins Raheem and Chris to talk more about the Sixers and how enjoyable this team has been to watch in recent weeks. Is the 'Philly Special' finally turning the corner and starting to believe that the dynamic duo of James Harden and Joel Embiid can take this team deep into the playoffs? Plus, Chris makes a bold statement about the MVP race. Sheil and Cliff also touch on some Philly sports topics that the people want to hear about, including free agent safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia, Raheem Palmer, and Chris RyanProducer: Cliff Augustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices