The New York Jets are in the doldrums after another disappointing season.
NFL Insider Matt Lombardo believes one way they can get out of that funk is by pulling off a blockbuster deal. He encouraged the Jets to offer a future first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason.
“There is a nonzero chance that Philadelphia is looking to move off star wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason, and there aren’t many teams that have the draft capital to comfortably offer a first-round pick and the cap space to sign the 28-year-old to a long-term extension,” Lombardo explained. “In the wake of a second-half disappearance in Philadelphia’s Wild Card loss to the 49ers, the whispers of a rift are louder than ever. For New York, one man’s locker room ‘issue’ is another man’s launch pad.”
“Garrett Wilson is one of the premier receivers in the league, and a rising star. However, especially with a highly drafted quarterback walking into Florham Park, surrounding him with elite talent is paramount. Pairing Brown, who has posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in six of his first six seasons and is fresh off his third consecutive seven-touchdown campaign, with Wilson would form one of the top-five to top-10 receiver duos in the NFL,” Lombardo predicted.
“Wilson and Brown would be the kind of turnkey offense that the Bears built for Williams, with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and rookie tight end Colston Loveland all legitimate threats in the vertical passing game and after the catch,” Lombardo wrote.
An Extra Benefit From Pulling off This Trade
If the Jets acquire Brown, their AFC East compadres can’t.
You’d rather have a three-time second-team All-Pro catching passes for you rather than against you. If the Jets don’t pull the trigger on a Brown blockbuster, the New England Patriots or Buffalo Bills could.
One of the biggest rifts between Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans when he was the head coach was the decision to ship off Brown during the 2022 NFL draft. Now the two could be reunited in a big deal this offseason with the Patriots.
ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler spoke to industry sources in an attempt to predict some blockbuster moves over the coming months.
Those anonymous NFL execs predicted that Brown would be traded to the Bills this offseason.
“The Bills have to upgrade there — their best receiver is Khalil Shakir, who is a nice player, but he’s not a top guy,” an anonymous NFL personnel evaluator told Fowler. “Brown is an immediate upgrade, and he’s still young [turning 29 in June]. And the Eagles can build the passing game around DeVonta Smith and a high draft pick.”
If the Jets don’t do it, one of their bitter AFC East rivals could. Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.
The Other Side of the Pillow…
While trading for a superstar receiver would win headlines this offseason, you have to challenge the logic from a Jets’ perspective.
The Jets won three games this past season. Would acquiring a soon-to-be 29-year-old pass catcher at the cost of a first-round pick and potentially a new big-money long-term contract be worth it?
There are some massive red flags that should scare the Jets.
If Brown had issues getting enough targets from a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, how would he feel about the Jets’ QB situation?
Brown seems like a much better fit for a contender than a Jets team in the middle of a rebuild.
Insider Says Jets Need to Offer a 1st Round Pick to Acquire NFC All-Pro WR