There has been no shortage of trade rumors surrounding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots. Now, the latest from Mike Florio is indicating that the trade could be completed by as early as June 2nd.
“June 1 is eight days away,” Florio wrote. “An A.J. Brown trade is as little as nine days away. As of June 2, the Eagles can trade Brown and spread the dead-money charge over two years. Most believe it’s just a matter of time before the trade happens. Most believe Brown will be traded to the Patriots.”
By now, it’s been well documented that the major holdup in a trade for Brown is the salary cap. By waiting until June, the Eagles are going to be able to put themselves in a better spot financially. That has also given plenty of time for rumors to spread.
“It’s entirely possible that the deal is unofficially done. Trade terms agreed to, and both teams keeping their mouths shut until Brown passes a physical and both teams communicate the terms of the transaction to the league office. The Maxx Crosby fiasco from March was a lesson to all teams about not letting the cart get in front of the horse. Say nothing until the deal is official,” Florio wrote.
Not Everyone Agrees the New England Patriots Will Land A.J. Brown in Early June
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
While the general consensus does seem to be that the Philadelphia Eagles will trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, nothing is set in stone. That includes the timeline that Mike Florio was confident about.
Another insider, Mike Garafolo, recently shared a different timeline, which would see negotiations for Brown go into July. That’s, importantly, because he feels negotiations need to be “rebooted,” directly contradicting Florio’s idea that a trade is unofficially done already.
“It’s going to have to be rebooted, and it’s going to have to get done,” Garafolo said. “It doesn’t have to happen on June 1st or 2nd. It can happen in the middle of July, right before training camp.”
At this point, the Brown rumors have been a never-ending journey for Patriots fans. While they want to see Brown land in New England, they also want those rumors to come to an end and get some finality on the future of their receiver room.
Adam Schefter Dismissed the Idea that Other Teams are in on Brown
GettyWide Receiver A.J. Brown
One consistent rumor that has been popping up is that other teams could be interested in A.J. Brown, besides the Patriots. However, when asked about some of these rumors, ESPN’s insider Adam Schefter dismissed those rumors.
“It feels like the closer we get to June 1, the more the A.J. Brown chatter is starting to pick up,” he said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “Now, we’re starting to hear about other teams entering the mix. I was on a Philadelphia radio show this morning. They brought up the idea that the Rams could be getting back in. They brought up the idea that the Jaguars could be getting back in. That’s interesting.”
One major problem for many of the teams that are involved in these rumors is the salary cap. Where the Patriots have room to add a contract like Brown’s, others don’t and would also have to move some money. That isn’t easy to do.
“I will remain in the camp that we’ve been in for the last 6-7 weeks. Which is that I still think [AJ Brown] is getting traded. I still think he’s getting traded on or shortly after June 1. I still think the New England Patriots are going away the lead contender to land AJ Brown this offseason. I don’t care what other teams come up in connection with A.J. Brown trade talks between now and June 1,” Schefter said.
“Don’t care about what conversations there are. These other teams have had their opportunities throughout the offseason. There were conversations with the Rams that did not result in a deal. I don’t know about Jacksonville. I don’t even know where that’s coming from, but I still think that the New England Patriots make the most sense. I still think when all is said and done that the Patriots will wind up agreeing to a deal that will land AJ Brown in New England.”
Adam Schefter has been one of the chief reporters in on the Brown rumors. He also was among the earliest to report that Brown to the Patriots would be happening in June. For now, it appears nothing has changed.
Patriots, A.J. Brown Trade Rumors Indicate a Date Set for Deal with Eagles