New England Patriots
The salary cap implications of acquiring Brown could change substantially after that date passes
AJ Brown AP Photo/Terrance Williams
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4 things to know about new Patriots WR Romeo Doubs
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Eagles reportedly ‘will not trade A.J. Brown at this time’ amid Patriots’ continued interest
Stefon Diggs is out, Romeo Doubs is in, and the Patriots could still be in the market for a wide receiver.
A.J. Brown, who has six 1,000 yard seasons in the last seven years and a bunch of experience playing for Mike Vrabel, has been mentioned as a potential fit for the Patriots.
June 1st is still a couple of months away, but that date could hold some significance for teams who are interested in pursuing Brown. ESPN’s Mike Reiss explained why.
“If the Eagles traded the receiver before June 1, they would absorb $43.5 million in dead money on their salary cap ($20.1 million more than his current cap charge),” Reiss wrote. “If they traded Brown after June 1, the dead money on their salary cap would be $16.353 million.”
“That simple math highlights why any deal for Brown, with the Patriots a top suitor, wouldn’t be finalized until June 1.”
The Patriots will bring back most of their receiving corps except for Diggs. Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III are all under contract for next season.
New England signed Doubs to a four-year deal worth up to $68 million during the offseason.
But, they still appear to be interested in acquiring another weapon for Drake Maye to throw to. Diggs was the Patriots’ first 1,000 yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. Diggs also was a key veteran presence in the receiver room.
Other than Hollins, the Patriots receivers including Doubs are 25 and under. None of them have recorded a 1,000 yard season. While Diggs’s production fell off during the playoffs, he was effective during the regular season, and those touches have to go somewhere. Diggs led the Patriots with 102 targets, 37 more than Hollins, who had the second-most amongst New England’s wide receivers.
The question in the Patriots’ reported pursuit of Brown is: What price would the Patriots be willing to pay the Eagles in exchange?
Earlier this month, NFL Media’s Mike Garofolo reported that the Eagles’ asking price was similar to a “Quinnen Williams-type deal.” The Cowboys gave up a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027-first-round pick, and a player to acquire Williams from the Jets.
That’s a higher price than Philadelphia paid to get Brown four years ago when they gave up a first-round pick and a third-round pick to the Titans for him in 2022.
ESPN put together a series of hypothetical deals for Brown, and the one involving the Patriots took New England sending this year’s first-round pick to the Eagles while receiving a second-round pick in return.
It’s not yet clear exactly what the market will look like for Brown, who turns 29 in June and saw his production take a slight hit in 2025.
But, according to ESPN, June 1st will be a big day for teams looking to trade for him.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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