It’s possible that Sean McVay and Les Snead know something the rest of us don’t about the A.J. Brown trade market.
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo during an appearance on Rich Eisen’s show Tuesday, the Rams nearly traded for Brown earlier this offseason in a deal that would have sent Davante Adams to the Philadelphia Eagles. And there’s still a chance a blockbuster move could happen after June 1.
What if the Rams drafted Ty Simpson over Makai Lemon because they already know that Brown is coming
to Los Angeles?
“That was really close. It was closer than it got with the Patriots,” Garafolo said, noting that rumors of Brown’s near-trade to New England was not as serious as the Rams’ pursuit of him. “Late one night, this (trade) could be going down. Early the next morning, there’s too many moving parts here.”
Those “parts” likely referred to Brown’s contract and the massive salary cap hit the Eagles would have taken by trading him before June 1. That changes in less than two weeks. The Eagles would have had to take on a $43 million cap hit in 2026 if they had traded Brown before the deadline, but they can spread that out over two years, including just $16 million next season, by waiting until June 1st.
“They could come back in at this point,” said Garafolo of the Rams’ interest with May almost over and L.A. clearly being a Super Bowl contender with question marks at receiver.
The Rams want to surround Matthew Stafford with as much talent as possible entering his age-38 season, and McVay has openly acknowledged that the organization has no idea when Stafford might retire.
Puka Nacua still needs to re-establish himself as a dependable superstar amid off-field questions and an ultra-physical playing style. Adams could become the oldest starting wide receiver in the NFL next season and battled injuries late last year. Meanwhile, Jordan Whittington currently headlines a depth chart that lacks proven experience behind the starters.
Brown is also still relatively young, turning 29 at the end of next month, which could help justify the Rams parting with a future first-round pick. He caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards in 15 games last season, and his production in Philadelphia may even undersell his talent given the Eagles’ offensive structure, quarterback limitations, and constant coordinator turnover.
Pairing Brown with Stafford and McVay would create arguably the best offensive environment of his career. If that happened, perhaps some of the frustrations that have followed Brown throughout his career would disappear as well.
The Rams were reportedly close to acquiring Brown at a time when a trade seemed impossible. Once June 1 arrives, talks could escalate quickly.
