It’s just days before the calendar turns to June. When that comes, the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to look to trade wide receiver A.J. Brown, with the most likely landing spot being the New England Patriots.
With June approaching, there’s now been a rash of reports regarding the trade negotiations between the Patriots and Eagles. Most notably, that they’re too far apart on the negotiations. Philadelphia wants a 2027 first-round pick. New England doesn’t want to pay it.
Despite that, Patriots insider Greg Bedard is confident that the Patriots are going to get the deal done quickly. That’s whether the NFL wants an immediate deal or not.
“I still think the Patriots are, far and away, the leader,” Bedard said. “I have heard a couple of different things on the timing. I have heard from somebody, they think the NFL would prefer if the Patriots waited a couple weeks. I think that’s always dangerous because you’re inviting something else to happen. Somebody to get hurt at mandatory minicamp and somebody jumping in.”
Bedard would add that he thinks it’s going to be a first-round pick that the Patriots send to the Eagles for Brown. It’s just going to be a 2028 first-round pick, along with some other kind of compensation.
“I still believe the most likely outcome, going away, probably at like 90% is that very quickly after June 1st, 4 p.m., AJ Brown is traded to the Patriots for a 2028 1st round pick and something else,” Bedard concluded.
The New England Patriots Still Need to Negotiate a Deal for A.J. Brown
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
Part of why the timeline is such a question for the A.J. Brown trade comes down to the fact that the Patriots and Eagles are a bit far apart on the negotiations. Recently, Mike Garafolo warned that they’re even going to need to be “rebooted.”
Within that reboot is a debate about the package the Patriots are going to send for Brown. Josina Anderson added on social media Thursday that the two sides “grappled” and it could involve a “swapping of picks.” She also noted a league source told her the Eagles are going to wait, giving other teams a chance to join negotiations.
“This is still Howie Roseman we are talking about and everyone’s still gonna hold all of their cards up until the start of June. So yes, a concern always gets floated here & there in these things that someone would swoop in at the last minute, and it would be a deal that Philly couldn’t refuse.”
Another insider, Mike Giardi, shared the Patriots’ perspective. A 2027 first-round pick is too steep for Brown, but they’d be open to a 2028 pick.
“I feel very strongly that this is still gonna get done…I truly believe the Patriots don’t want to give up a first-round pick in 2027. I think 2028 is open for them to give up, and I think that’s what it’s eventually gonna be,” Giardi said.
Keeping Giardi and Bedard’s reports in mind, it would seem like the Patriots do have a willingness to give up a first-round pick in 2028. It then becomes a question of whether or not the Eagles can leverage one for 2027.
The Patriots Have Leverage Over the Eagles
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
The A.J. Brown negotiation comes down to leverage. The Patriots want Brown and the Eagles want to trade Brown, who has made it clear he wants to be traded. That much is obvious, but both teams also want to get the most beneficial trade package possible.
So, it comes down to leverage. Right now, the Eagles don’t have any because they don’t have much in the way of other suitors for Brown. As Adam Schefter recently reported, not many teams actually want to trade for Brown at this point.
“I was on a Philadelphia radio show this morning,” Schefter recently said. “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 challenge is Brown’s contract. He’s going to cost around a $23 million in a salary cap hit. Not too many teams can afford to take that hit at that point in the offseason, but the Patriots can.
“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.”
Still, the longer the Eagles wait to agree to a trade package, the more likely something changes around the league. An injury to a receiver on a contending team would potentially trigger another team that wants Brown, and then a bidding war can begin.
Patriots Insider on A.J. Brown Trade Timeline and Potential Package