As one more rigorous season comes to an end, numerous high-level players are seemingly available on the NFL trade market, including Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
However, the asking price for him has been called “unserious.”
Patriots Targeting A.J. Brown, Willing To Trade First-Round Pick
Right now, the NFL Scouting Combine is underway, and this is when a lot of rumors fly, as coaching staffs and executives all gather under one roof in Indianapolis. With that, this is a prime time for fans to get news about some of the biggest storylines, and Browns’ trade value is indeed one of them.
However, according to Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed of the “Boston Herald,” the Patriots aren’t taking his asking from the Eagles seriously. “The Patriots have explored trade talks involving Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown, but feel the current asking price is unserious, according to one source,” Callahan and Kyed reported.
The Patriots would be a great spot for Brown. He would certainly help elevate their offense, which already ranked second in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, with a grade of 86.6.
Right now, Brown is in the midst of a massive contract. He signed a $100 million deal over four years in April 2022, and in April 2024, he signed a three-year extension through 2029 for $96 million.
If Brown were traded with a post-June 1 designation, he’d represent $43.48 million in dead money for the Eagles. However, as a post-June 1 designation, it would be more manageable with $16.35 million in dead money and $7 million in cap savings, per Over the Cap.
“Several league sources believe Brown could nonetheless be dealt, and the return could be a step above what the Seahawks received when they traded D.K. Metcalf and a sixth-round pick to Pittsburgh last year for a second-rounder at 52nd overall and a seventh-round pick,” Callahan and Kyed also reported.
When Metcalf was traded, he was 27 years old. He turned 28 in December. As for Brown, he’s 28 and will turn 29 in June. This past season, he caught 78 passes on 121 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. His catch percentage of 64.5% was the lowest since 2022. He’s also had 1,000 yards or more in all but one season of his career.
Callahan and Kyed also said that Patriots executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, would be willing to deal their first-round pick.
Also, the current Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel, coached Brown for three years with the Tennessee Titans. Brown was drafted to the team during his tenure as a second-round pick.
Some analysts, including Samuel Njoku of “Ravens Talk Pod,” have already pegged Brown as a future Patriot. “Brown has been public about his lifelong fandom of the Patriots in interviews and on social media,” Callahan and Kyed also said.
