The A.J. Brown trade rumors refuse to die despite general manager Howie Roseman’s attempts of shutting them down at every opportunity. Multiple reports indicate the Philadelphia Eagles will likely move their star receiver to the New England Patriots after June 1 to avoid a crippling $43.4 million dead cap hit that would occur with a pre-June trade.
The Patriots remain the frontrunners to land Brown, given his history with head coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, but the timing suggests Philadelphia could use next week’s draft to prepare for life without their top weapon. The Eagles have already begun building their contingency plan by signing Hollywood Brown in free agency and trading for Dontayvion Wicks.
Mike Tannenbaum Floats Denzel Boston as Option for Eagles To Replace A.J. Brown
Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes the Eagles should take that preparation one step further by drafting Washington’s Denzel Boston as a long-term replacement for their star receiver. He talked about it on ESPN’s “Get Up”:
“Denzel Boston, University of Washington, four-year starter, big physical receiver. He profiles like A.J. Brown,” Tannenbaum said. “Again, not saying he’s going to be, right? He’s a perfect complement to the undersized quickness of Hollywood Brown and Devonta Smith. So, I know we’re in the speculation game.”
“If they would draft Denzel Boston, not saying they’re going to, but if they did, that would be a very meaningful sign about the future of AJ Brown in Philly,” Tannenbaum added.
Boston finished his college career with back-to-back productive seasons after waiting his turn behind Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Once those three departed for the NFL, Boston emerged as Washington’s top option in 2024 with 63 catches for 834 yards and 9 touchdowns before following that up with 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025. He finished his college career with a total of 21 touchdowns in 43 games.
According to PFSN’s CFB WR Impact Metric, Boston had an impact score of 79.5 last year, ranking 50th at his position.
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If the Eagles move on from Brown after June 1, Boston would slide into the lineup alongside Smith and Brown as the primary outside threat.
Trading Brown could ultimately benefit Philadelphia more than keeping him would. Moving the three-time Pro Bowler would elevate Smith to the true WR1 role he deserves after playing second fiddle for four seasons, potentially unlocking a Jaxon Smith-Njigba-type breakout in which the former Heisman winner can finally showcase his full abilities.
Smith’s elite route-running would thrive with increased targets, and removing the burden of forcing the ball to one receiver could allow Hurts to distribute more evenly and play with better rhythm.
The cap savings would also give Roseman flexibility to address other roster needs while maintaining a talented receiving corps built around Smith, Hollywood Brown, Wicks, and potentially Boston.
