New England Patriots
“Talking to people who work in the league … they all believe A.J. Brown will end up in New England.”
A.J. Brown could still be a potential target for the Patriots this offseason. AP Photo/Adam Hunger
The New England Patriots bolstered their receiving corps this week by signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal.
But, according to several reports, New England is still on the prowl for another major upgrade on offense this offseason — namely, prying All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown from the Eagles.
For the right price, that is.
Pairing an elite talent like Brown with a quarterback like Drake Maye would elevate an already explosive New England offense for the next few years. Brown also has plenty of experience playing for Mike Vrabel during their time together with the Tennessee Titans.
But, even with the Patriots standing as a logical landing spot for the disgruntled wideout, the Eagles are reportedly unwilling to move their star receiver unless a team like the Patriots meets their high asking price.
On Monday, longtime NFL insider Josina Anderson reported on X that the Eagles were willing to move their star wideout for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick.
But, if New England wants to play the waiting game with the Eagles, could Philly and GM Howie Roseman eventually lower that asking price?
Appearing on NBC Sports Boston’s “Early Edition” on Wednesday, Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi said he believes the Eagles will eventually relent in trade talks with New England, leading to Brown’s arrival in Foxborough.
”Who knows if this is a game of telephone. But talking to people who work in the league … they all believe A.J. Brown will end up in New England,” Giardi said. “This probably takes a little while. You’ve got the runway here. … But to me, now that you have Doubs?
“It’s less of an ‘Oh, you’ve got to give us a [first-round pick] and [second-round pick].’ [The Patriots say], ‘No, we have a good player who we think can be a No. 1 [receiver]. How about a [second-round pick] and [fourth-round pick]? I think this is eventually going to get done.”
The Eagles may want to wait until after June 1 if they are adamant about cutting ties with Brown.
If Philadelphia trades Brown off its roster before June 1, they’d be on the hook for over $43 million in dead cap money this season. But, if Brown is traded after June 1, that dead cap hit would drop to $16.4 million, while freeing up $7 million in cap space.
So long as the Patriots are willing to wait things out with the Eagles, New England might be able to add one of the top wideouts in the NFL without having to cough up a coveted first-round pick.
Speaking on Thursday, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf acknowledged that New England is leaving all options on the table this offseason — even if a few potential moves might not be tenable until later this summer.
”We’ll explore anything that we think can help the team,” Wolf said of the team’s interest in Brown, adding, “I think the only real deadlines you have are, sort of maybe salary cap related. If, for instance — did we spend money in free agency that would take us out of something else? But, I wouldn’t say that there’s a deadline on trying to improve the team.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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