The countdown to June 1 continues because it pertains to an A.J. Brown trade. The swap ending his Eagles tenure continues to be expected to happen and send him to Recent England, but there may be work to be done between those two teams.
An official Brown-to-Recent England move will not be guaranteed to be in place when it’s first feasible to be finalized, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network cautions (video link). Brown’s contract can be far easier to soak up after June 1, something driving the lengthy waiting period before clarity emerges in his case. Rapoport confirms the Patriots remain the expected destination for Brown, 29 next month, so a reunion with head coach Mike Vrabel continues to loom.
Philadelphia and Recent England haven’t yet agreed to the worth of a Brown trade, per Rapoport and The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson. Anderson adds a swap of picks may wind up going down once the trade is official. A Day 1 selection continues to be sought out by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Especially if the Patriots wind up agreeing to fulfill it, it’s going to be interesting to see if draft capital attached to Brown and his contract gets sought out by Recent England.
The Eagles discussed a Brown trade prior to last month’s draft, but their attention ultimately turned to next yr’s edition. The 2027 class is held in very high regard (especially in comparison with this yr’s), and that factor is little question driving a part of Recent England’s hesitation to part with a first-rounder next yr. Roseman has shown a willingness to take draft picks two years into the long run as a part of a trade, nevertheless. That would come into play on this case.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes the Eagles discussed a 2028 first-round pick when speaking a couple of Brown trade earlier this offseason. That conversation took place with a team apart from the Patriots, he adds. The non-Recent England market on this front has been largely quiet, although the Rams have been mentioned as a suitor. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is now seen as being out of the running for Brown.
Across his 4 years with the Eagles, Brown racked up 5,034 yards and 32 receiving touchdowns. The three-time Pro Bowler helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LIX, but his level of satisfaction inside the team’s offense on the whole and his on-field relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts specifically increasingly became a talking point over time. Indications from the team and Hurts have pointed to a separation being expected relatively soon. It still stays to be seen if trade terms could be worked out with the Patriots over the approaching days, nevertheless.