NFL

Eagles sign TE Dallas Goedert to one-year, $7 million contract

The suspense — or lack thereof — is over. There was never much doubt that Goedert would leave Philadelphia. After all, the eight-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Eagles, and wasn’t officially on the market. The issue facing the tight end and the franchise was a contractual void date, which would’ve hit the Eagles with a dead-cap hit of more than $20 million. That’s now resolved, so Philadelphia can turn its attention to the remainder of free agency, the draft and A.J. Brown.

Goedert, 31, remains a solid starter, though his blocking ability has regressed. He’s not the same pass catcher he was at his 2021-2022 peak, either, as he recorded a career low in yards per reception last season. Still, he managed to tally a career-best 11 touchdowns last year, proving to be a red-zone force for a run-first attack.

There’s more. $7 million per year for a viable weapon like Goedert is a steal. Is falling off the cliff a reasonable outcome for the veteran? Absolutely. But the Eagles are protected in that instance, as this is just a one-year agreement. Should all go well, Goedert will probably be back for another go around in 2027 — at a similarly cheap price.

Cardinals sign WR Devin Duvernay to one-year, $2.5 million contract

This contract is worth up to $2.5 million.

Great returners are still undervalued by the NFL, and Duvernay absolutely still qualifies as one. The 28-year-old starred on special teams for the Bears last season, averaging 26.7 yards on kickoff returns and 11.0 yards on punt returns. He’s not quite as explosive as he was in 2021, when he earned All-Pro honors as a returner, but Arizona will surely accept what Duvernay has to offer.

The 2020 third-round pick won’t offer much — if anything — as a receiver, however. He recorded 407 receiving yards in 2022, but that dwindled to just 26 yards last year. The Cardinals aren’t signing him to catch passes, though, so Duvernay’s drop in aerial production won’t be an issue.

NBA

Thunder 116, Timberwolves 103

This action was up against the final day of college basketball’s conference tournaments, so I glanced at it here and there on TV3.

I seemingly didn’t miss much.

Well, unless you’re thinking of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s desperate — and successful — attempt at extending his 20-point game streak. Congratulations, Shai, on making history.

On a more serious note, this was mostly a ho-hum victory for the Thunder. Despite facing a strong opponent, Oklahoma City controlled the second half, which was more than enough to win. Significant output from the bench was critical, as Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso and Jared McCain all scored 15-plus points.

This was a conspicuously quiet game for Anthony Edwards. The swingman totaled just 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting, while also turning the ball over six times. If a second-round matchup between these teams manifests, Edwards will have to be superman — not replacement-level.

Mavericks 130, Cavaliers 120

Cleveland was heavily favored in this game, but poor effort can get good teams beat by just about anyone. And this Dallas team easily clears the “just about anyone” bar, as Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall are all quality players.

Kon Knueppel recently overtook Flagg as the Rookie of the Year favorite, but I still think it should be Flagg’s award to lose. He’s already a two-way force, as evidenced by his 27 points, 10 assists and two blocks yesterday. Knueppel is already a winning player — to put it simply — but Flagg is a game-changer.

Not much went right for the Cavaliers in this contest, though they did finally get Max Strus back. The swingman’s recovery a Jones fracture in his left foot was lengthy, but his return was promising. Strus’ first real action since last season included 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Perhaps the Cavaliers will display more intensity in Strus’ second time out.

Raptors 119, Pistons 108

Neither of these teams are playing well. Detroit’s hold on the East’s No. 1 seed is still strong, but Toronto is in jeopardy of falling into the play-in. This contest was, of sorts, a get-right game for both franchises.

The Raptors seized it.

It was a wing-dominated performance for Toronto, as Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett stole the show, combining for 61 points. Jakob Poeltl also excelled, scoring 21 points, grabbing 18 rebound and posting five assists.

The Raptors face the Bulls on Wednesday, giving them a few days of rest.

Rest is needed by the Pistons, too, but what Detroit really needs is a reprieve from its recent struggles. That might not come until the end of the regular season, however, so Detroit will need to find a way to slog through adversity.

Cade Cunningham posted 33 points and nine assists for yesterday’s losers.