New England Patriots
“Brown is intrinsically wired to find all sorts of ways for self-motivation, so a big season in 2026 almost feels inevitable, health permitting.”
A.J. Brown was acquired by New England for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. AP Photo/Caroline Brehman
The New England Patriots have a new No. 1 wide receiver to pair with Drake Maye in A.J. Brown.
But, the Patriots had to give up some valuable draft capital in order to pry the three-time Pro Bowler out of Philadelphia. New England reportedly traded a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to complete the swap.
Bringing in a veteran wideout with Brown’s skillset and resume gives New England’s offense another significant boost, signaling that the Patriots are looking to cash in on this unexpected contention window.
But, did New England still give up too much to secure an elite pass-catching weapon for Maye and Co.?
Based on several trade grades, it seems as though both the Patriots and Eagles made out well in this swap.
The Athletic
Grade: B
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe acknowledged that the Patriots paid a premium for Brown, who isn’t exactly getting any younger and might only have a few more seasons of elite play left in the tank.
However, he didn’t rule out a potential resurgent season for the wideout now that he’s reunited with Mike Vrabel.
“The first-rounder is a steep price, regardless of how long it’ll take to come off the books, because it’s reasonable to be somewhat skeptical of Brown’s staying power,” Howe wrote. “Brown, who turns 29 at the end of the month, has played a rampaging style of football for a long time, so there’s got to be concern about his durability after a drop in both production and availability over the last two seasons.
“Brown also hit a similar valley in his final two seasons with the Titans before the trade to Philly yielded the two most productive seasons of his career. Maybe the Patriots get a similar bump from Brown, who will absolutely be motivated to prove himself once again. Brown is intrinsically wired to find all sorts of ways for self-motivation, so a big season in 2026 almost feels inevitable, health permitting.”
Even though that 2028 first-round pick may not be that high up on the draft order if the Patriots continue to hold court atop the AFC, Howe still awarded the Eagles a B+ for getting a solid return for a player who wore out his welcome in Philly.
“The Eagles were never going to get auction-style compensation for Brown,” Howe wrote. “There wasn’t a ton of interest around the NFL due to the Eagles’ early price tag that included a 2026 first-rounder, according to league sources. Combined with concern about Brown’s long-term durability, there weren’t many suitors willing to pay what it took to secure the veteran receiver.
Bleacher Report
Grade: A-
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report gave New England high marks for pushing plenty of their chips onto the table in hopes of winning a Super Bowl in the next couple of years.
“There was no way the Pats were getting Brown for less than a first,” Davenport said. “The team was able to punt that first-rounder to 2028, and the fifth-rounder is a throw-in. It’s a reasonable cost for a No. 1 wide receiver. Now, the Patriots will ostensibly roll out Brown and youngster Kayshon Boutte (who was speculated to be part of this deal more than once) on the perimeter with free agent Romeo Doubs manning the slot.
“Combined with veteran tight end Hunter Henry and the two-headed backfield of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, Drake Maye has no shortage of weapons around him.”
Davenport handed the Eagles a B- grade.
“Having to wait until 2028 to get a first-rounder isn’t ideal,” Davenport wrote. “The Eagles have a hole in the wideout corps now, even with [rookie Makai] Lemon in town—Philadelphia’s top two wideouts [Lemon and DeVonta Smith] are both undersized.
“But the Eagles eliminated much of the drama from the locker room and added a first-round pick. It’s not [Eagles GM] Howie Roseman’s best work. But it’s not his worst either.”
ESPN
Grade: B-
ESPN’s Seth Walder did acknowledge that Brown’s down season in 2025 might have had more to do with Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ struggles, rather than a decline in Brown’s overall skillset.
Still, Walder expressed some doubt about whether adding Brown puts this Patriots roster over the top moving forward.
“New England should be aiming for a return to the Super Bowl, but this deal should not be thought of as a title favorite adding the final piece to put it over the top,” Walder wrote. “When ESPN’s Football Power Index comes out later this week, it will have the Patriots as the 12th-best team in the league entering 2026. They can certainly get back to the Super Bowl again, but they are farther away than the average defending conference champion.”
Meanwhile, Walder chalked up the move as a good bit of business for Roseman and the Eagles, handing them an A-.
“For the Eagles, this is a solid result considering the team and player had pretty clearly reached the end of their time together,” Walder wrote. “They are worse at receiver without Brown than they were with him. But the team had been preparing for this trade: It drafted Makai Lemon in the first round of this year’s draft and traded for Dontayvion Wicks. With DeVonta Smith ascending into the clear WR1 role, the Eagles are still OK here.”
CBS Sports
Grade: B+
Bryan DeArdo also gave New England a solid grade for addressing a critical need on their roster and elevating an offense that flatlined at the worst possible time during the playoffs last season.
“The Patriots needed an upgrade at receiver, and they definitely got one in Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler who is still in his prime,” DeArdo wrote. “In Tennessee, Brown helped the Titans capture two division titles while temporarily elevating the career of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
“In Philadelphia, Brown developed a strong rapport with Jalen Hurts, culminating in Hurts earning Super Bowl MVP honors. The Patriots are undoubtedly banking on Brown making a similar impact on Drake Maye, who solidified his standing last season as New England’s franchise quarterback.”
DeArdo was far more critical of the Eagles, giving them just a C- grade.
Even if Brown’s days were numbered with the Eagles, DeArdo took Roseman to task for not holding out to see if New England (or another team) would eventually bite on giving up a 2027 first-round pick in what is expected to be a stacked class.
“Criticizing Howie Roseman for a trade he just made is like criticizing Steven Spielberg before opening night. … But while Roseman deserves credit for rebuilding the Eagles’ receiving corps, the fact that he was unable to get a 2027 first-round pick for Brown is baffling,” DeArdo wrote.
“Back in 2022, the Packers received future first- and second-round picks from the Raiders in exchange for Davante Adams. Adams was a better player than Brown is now, but that doesn’t explain the compensation disparity. Yes, Brown’s demeanor during the end of his time in Nashville and Philadelphia likely hurt like trade value, but to the extent that the Eagles weren’t able to get anything better than a fifth-round pick next year and a first-round pick in 2028? Probably not.”
USA Today
Grade: B+
USA Today’s Jack McKessy viewed Monday’s deal as more of a move that benefited all parties, with New England getting a B+ grade and the Eagles finishing just behind with a B mark.
“The Patriots certainly needed a No. 1 receiver for their offense, and Brown was among the best they could acquire,” McKessy wrote. “It wasn’t cheap to land the soon-to-be 29-year-old, but New England keeping its first-round pick in what is expected to be a strong 2027 NFL Draft class was a win for the organization. Add in Brown’s familiarity with Mike Vrabel and it’s hard not to like this deal from the Patriots’ standpoint.”
“Brown was disgruntled at times in Philadelphia last season and the Eagles did well to replenish their depth at the position during the offseason, so they are equipped for life without the veteran wide-out,” McKessy added of the Eagles’ return.
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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