There are no signs that the Philadelphia Eagles want to move on from A.J. Brown, but all it takes is one intriguing trade package to prompt consideration. Bleacher Report’s Jake Ellenbogen put together several potential trade packages for the Eagles to explore for Brown.
One proposed deal has the Eagles landing a package of picks from the New England Patriots. All signs point to the Pats using the No. 3 overall pick on their quarterback of the future. New England makes up for the lack of an additional first rounder by sending three draft picks to Philadelphia in the proposal.
The Patriots do have a high second rounder at No. 34 which is just a few picks away from being a first-round selection. Brown goes to the Patriots and the Eagles land a second rounder (No. 34), third-round pick (No. 68) and fourth-round selection (No. 102), all in the 2024 NFL draft.
“They only have one first-round pick,” Ellenbogen noted during a March 7, 2024 live stream. “They’re not trading away the third overall [pick]. So, a second, a third and a fourth [round picks for Brown]. It’s a lot, but hey, what better way to ring in a new era of Patriots football than to bring in a franchise quarterback at pick three [to pair with Brown].”
Philadelphia Eagles Star A.J. Brown Still Has 3 Seasons Remaining on a 4-Year, $100 Million Deal
A.J. Brown is in grind mode. @1kalwaysopen_
(via @coachjoeyg)
There has been no shortage of production from Brown, but this also comes with a premium price. Brown posted a career-high 106 receptions for 1,456 yards and 7 touchdowns while starting all 17 games in 2023.
The star wideout has had back-to-back seasons topping 1,400 receiving yards. Brown has three seasons remaining on a four-year, $100 million contract.
The playmaker has a reasonable $12.4 million cap hit for 2024. This number quickly escalates to $26.5 million in 2025 and a massive $41.5 million in 2026 when Brown will be 29 years old.
Eagles Rumors: How Does This Blockbuster Trade With the Patriots Turn Out for Philly?
Ladd McConkey was filthy at Georgia 🥶
How would this trade play out in the draft? We used Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator to make this blockbuster trade with Brown and play out the additional picks for Philly.
The Eagles end up with quite a haul of players, several of which project to be starters at the next level. Here is how the mock draft played out with the Eagles’ own selections as well as the picks gained from the Patriots: Iowa corner Cooper DeJean (No. 22), wideout Ladd McConkey (No. 34), Michigan corner Mike Sainristil (No. 50), Florida State receiver Keon Coleman (No. 53), Michigan linebacker Junior Colson (No. 68) and Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen (No. 103) and Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha.
To summarize, the Eagles improve their defensive weakness by adding cornerbacks and a linebacker, especially leaning on the Michigan Wolverines loaded championship roster. This trade proposal results in Philadelphia turning Brown into a package of McConkey, Colson and Allen. That’s not replacing Brown’s 1,400 receiving yards, but it might make for a more well-rounded football team.
Eagles Rumors: Philly Lands WR Ladd McConkey, LB Junior Colson & RB Braelon Allen in NFL Draft Via Trade
It is impossible to replace Brown, but the Eagles gain a different kind of receiver in McConkey. Philadelphia follows it up by selecting a new physical receiver in Coleman.
During the mock, the Eagles also had a chance to address receiver with their first-round pick by adding a player like Texas speedsters Xavier Worthy or Adonai Mitchell. Ultimately, Philly’s secondary proved to be more of an area of concern, so we opted for DeJean over the wideouts knowing quality receivers would still be on the board at No. 34.
Selecting Allen is a bit of a luxury, but too good to pass up at the beginning of the fourth round. The Eagles want to protect their investment in Saquon Barkley, and Allen is more than capable of sharing the backfield with the team’s new star. Chances are the Eagles end up sticking with Brown, but this is the kind of deal that would allow Philadelphia to gain future cap space while adding several new potential starters.
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Blockbuster Proposed Trade Sends $100 Million Eagles Star to Patriots