The Philadelphia Eagles finalized what everyone knew was coming on June 1st; A.J. Brown was traded to the New England Patriots.
There had been reports that the trade may have been getting held up by the fact that the Eagles wanted a first round pick in exchange for his services, and that the Patriots were unwilling to part with their one in 2027 to acquire him.
So, the teams compromised and New England moved their 2028 first round pick, broadly equivalent to an early second round pick in 2027, in addition to a further 2027 fifth round pick.
However, one NFL source said to Eric Williams of Fox Sports that he was surprised the Eagles managed to recoup the first round pick in exchange for Brown, who will turn 29 on June 30 and has seen his receiving numbers decline for the past two years straight.
“I’m somewhat surprised that the Eagles were able to get a first-round pick as part of the deal, albeit a first in two years. It was clear that Philadelphia wanted to move on, and yet they were still able to convince New England to give up a one.” The source said to Williams.
Rams’ Interest May Have Driven Up Price for A.J. Brown
Yet, the source appeared to answer their own question in the very next paragraph, as Williams reveals that the source conceded that the Los Angeles Rams‘ substantial, concurrent interest in Brown may well have driven up the price.
“However, the league source acknowledged that the Rams coming close to making a trade for Brown (which potentially would have included wide receiver Davante Adams) could have driven up the price for New England.” Williams wrote.
Although the initial thought that comes to mind may be skepticism that the Rams could have swung a trade for Brown; giving up Adams and 2027 second round pick – which LA still retains after the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade that occurred on the same day – and getting a 2027 third back in return would certainly have been more than plausible for the franchise to pull off.
Did the Eagles Get a Good Deal with the A.J. Brown Trade?
Given that the Rams were supposedly in on Brown and the Patriots appeared to be fairly desperate to add a true WR1 to their otherwise well-packed roster, New England perhaps even deserves credit to have pushed the pick to 2028, rather than giving up the substantial draft capital a year earlier.
But there is also the argument to be made that getting any first rounder for a 29-year old that at least appears to past his best years is a big win for the Eagles.
It is true that Philadelphia’s offense was not conducive to Brown’s individual success over the past two seasons, and his off-the-field complaints about quarterback Jalen Hurts did not appear to help the situation. But there would be few in the league who would argue that Brown is the same type of borderline top-five player he was at the height of his powers in 2022 and 2023.
All in all, the Eagles can certainly be content with their trade compensation for Brown for now, but only time will tell if the deal was smart or not.
Report: Eagles Procured 1st Round Pick For A.J. Brown Due to Outside Interest