New England Patriots
The Patriots might be able to play the waiting game in trade talks for A.J. Brown after signing Doubs.
A.J. Brown continues to get linked to the Patriots this spring. Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The New England Patriots bolstered their receiver corps on Tuesday — signing former Packers wideout Romeo Doubs to a four-year contract worth a maximum of $80 million.
Doubs — who surpassed 700 receiving yards last season in Green Bay —should give Drake Maye another steady option out of the slot and a proven red-zone target (18 touchdowns the last three seasons).
But it’s unclear if Doubs alone can replicate the production that Stefon Diggs generated in his lone season in Foxborough (85 catches, 1,013 yards, four touchdowns).
New England could still use another dynamic wideout or other receiving target to elevate a Patriots offense that stagnated during the 2025 postseason.
And based on several reports, it seems as though the addition of Doubs hasn’t halted the Patriots’ pursuit of Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.
According to MassLive’s Karen Guregian, the Doubs signing “won’t necessarily preclude” New England from continuing its pursuit of Brown, who has been linked to the Patriots throughout this offseason.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe offered up a similar sentiment shortly after news broke that New England signed Doubs.
“I’m told Romeo Doubs signing with [the] Patriots DOES NOT end their interest in trading for A.J. Brown,” Wolfe wrote. “Obviously WR need isn’t as dire, so dynamics change a bit and maybe ultimately they don’t land him because of [the] high price. But they still love A.J.”
Beyond Brown’s familiarity with Mike Vrabel during their time together with the Titans, the three-time All-Pro wideout would give New England another legitimate WR1 for the next few seasons.
He has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in six out of his seven full seasons in the NFL. Even during a down year offensively for Brown and the Eagles in 2025, he still reeled in 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
But the Eagles are reportedly setting a steep price for Brown in any trade talks — with NFL insider Josina Anderson reporting on X Monday that the Eagles were willing to move their star wideout for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick.
By signing Doubs, New England has a bit more leverage in trade talks with the Eagles, with their offseason efforts of bolstering their receiver room no longer solely dependent on a trade for Brown.
The Patriots now have the means to wait out a potential trade for Brown, as the Eagles might be willing to lower their asking price for him later this summer.
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 — not exactly what a team in the midst of a contention window is looking for.
But if Philly moves Brown after June 1, the dead cap hit would drop to $16.4 million, while freeing up $7 million in cap space.
New England would likely still have to part with a coveted draft pick or two in any deal for Brown.
But if New England can avoid giving up a first AND second-round pick in any trade with Philly, they’ll gladly play the waiting game over the next few months.
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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