Getty Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
Imagine a world where the Philadelphia Eagles don’t trade for A.J. Brown. It’s hard to envision the roster without their most impactful offseason addition from 2022, but it almost happened. The Eagles were actually eyeing up two other receivers before the last-minute deal for Brown came together.
According to Ari Meirov, the Eagles had “legit negotiations” with the Atlanta Falcons about Calvin Ridley before the NFC South team stopped talking to them. They were literally in the process of getting a deal done, then the league dropped the hammer on by suspending him indefinitely for gambling on games. Talks ceased. The Eagles moved on. Ridley, who earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Eagles were also heavily pursuing Allen Robinson in free agency last offseason. They were expecting to sign him, according to Meirov, but Robinson had a change of heart as they were putting the finishing touches on a deal. The Pro Bowl receiver got a phone call from Sean McVay who convinced him to spurn the Eagles and join the Los Angeles Rams.
“They thought they had a deal done and Allen decided to sleep on it for one more night,” Meirov said, “and then the Rams and Sean McVay, who if you talk to Sean McVay he can convince you on anything, and he talked to Allen Robinson and he convinced him … eventually, A.J. Brown becomes available and they trade for him.”
Behind the scenes stories are my favorite. Before trading for AJ Brown last offseason, the #Eagles were close to getting two other receivers.
Here’s the story:
(🎥 @Capsoffpodcast)
Eagles Almost Traded for Russell Wilson: Report
The what-if moves for Allen Robinson and Calvin Ridley could have been the precursor to a potential blockbuster move for Russell Wilson. The nine-time Pro Bowler had been the apple of Howie Roseman’s eye dating back to the 2012 draft when the team waited a round too long to pull the trigger. In 2022, with Jalen Hurts atop the quarterback depth chart, the Eagles made a formal offer for Wilson. They really wanted him. He didn’t want them, according to Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop.
“I think the Eagles really wanted him,” Bishop told a Seattle radio station, via Sports Illustrated. “I think they liked his style of play, I think that makes sense, right? It’s similar to Jalen Hurts, especially when he was in his prime and a little bit faster, I think, than now. And, yeah, my understanding at that time is that Russ wanted to stay here and then ultimately that’s not what happened.”
‘Sky’s the Limit’ for A.J. Brown in 2023
A.J. Brown exceeded all expectations during his first year in a midnight green jersey. His 1,496 receiving yards set a new single-season franchise record as he surpassed the mark set by Mike Quick (1,409) in 1983. The two-time Pro Bowler finished fourth-best for receiving yards in the entire NFL which made him the first Eagles wideout to crack the top five since Irving Fryar in 1997. So, yes, it was quite the debut season for Brown. And he’s hungry for more.
“I can always just work on getting in better shape, so I have more opportunity,” Brown told CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr. “Trying to be that well-rounded receiver, and do it all. I have goals of my own and definitely trying to achieve those. So sky’s the limit.”
2 minutes & 11 seconds of A.J. Brown doing what he does best.
Happy 🇦🇺 Birthday to the @Eagles All-Pro WR 🎉🏆