Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Eagles made play for Myles Garrett, but Browns wanted Jalen Carter – PFT On Monday morning, before the Browns traded defensive end Myles Garrett to the Rams, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer flagged the Rams, Cowboys, and Eagles as potential destinations. Multiple reports have indicated that the Browns wanted defensive tackle Jalen Carter from the Eagles, but that the Eagles weren’t interested in that. Via Jeff Kerr of SI.com, the Eagles offered
Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt instead. The Eagles’ insistence on keeping Carter is a bit confusing, given that the forward-looking Eagles have yet to sign Carter to a second contract. In March, after the Eagles signed defensive tackle Jordan Davis to a new deal, it was leaked that they have gotten calls about Carter, which often is part of a strategy aimed at getting more.
Eagles practice notes: Andy Dalton is QB2? – BGN
BACKUP QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY? Or maybe there’s no controversy after all and it’s just been decided that Andy Dalton is Hurts’ primary backup instead of Tanner McKee? Plenty of offseason left to go but, for the second media-attended practice in a row, Dalton was the quarterback with the second-team offense. And unlike how he stunk last week, the 38-year-old veteran was much sharper today. Dalton made a good anticipation throw up the seam to hit E.J. Jenkins for a first down. Then he completed two passes to receivers on out routes along the left sideline. Dalton found Elijah Moore, who sat down in a soft spot in the defense, for another first down. He capped off a strong day at practice with a strike to Hollywood Brown in the back of the end zone during a goal line sequence. Tanner McKee’s limited reps included him hitting a flyswatter dummy, a short pass broken up by undrafted rookie Kapena Gushiken, a wormburner over the middle, and a short touchdown pass to Danny Gray. Maybe we’ll see more of a rotation at QB2 moving forward … but what if Dalton is just the guy at QB2? Something we’ll continue to monitor.
Eagles OTA practice notes: Offense starts slow, but eventually makes some plays – PhillyVoice
With A.J. Brown gone, Hurts is going to lean on Smith and Goedert. They both had catches over the intermediate-middle of the field from Hurts. Prediction: Smith will lead the team in targets this season by a mile. Assuming he is able to stay on the field, I wouldn’t be surprised if Smith had like 40 or 50 more targets than the next closest guy.
Eagles trade A.J. Brown to the Patriots: Five instant thoughts on Howie Roseman’s blockbuster deal – PHLY
How the Eagles proceed. In trading for Dontayvion Wicks, drafting Makai Lemon in the first-round of the NFL Draft and signing both Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore, the Eagles have already spent most of this offseason planning for life without Brown. But have they done enough? Even for those bullish on Lemon hitting the ground running as a rookie or Wicks flourishing in a more featured role, it’s hard to argue that the team’s receiving corps won’t take a significant step back without Brown as a key cog in the machine. Even going off his worst year with the team, the Eagles have 80 receptions and 1,000 yards to compensate for just to maintain the uninspiring production last year’s group managed. Of Brown’s 80 catches (121 targets may be the better way to look at it), DeVonta Smith will likely be the primary beneficiary. The Eagles have been bullish on Smith this offseason and there’s some belief internally that taking on a more featured role as the clear No. 1 in Sean Mannion’s offense will close the gap between him and receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Puka Nacua. Smith had 113 targets, 77 catches and 1,008 yards last season; what would his production look like if he was closer to the 150-target mark without Brown? And even if Lemon and Wicks have best-case scenario production, the most likely factor to compensate for Brown’s departure — aside from a potential leap from Smith — will come on the sideline rather than the field. The Eagles biggest overhaul this offseason came on the offensive coaching staff, hiring Mannion as a first-time play caller and surrounding him with assistant coaches who are well-versed in running a scheme that takes inspiration from the best offenses in the NFL. The Eagles’ bet is that those changes will get the most of the group, even after losing one of the best wideout’s in the NFL.
Reaction mixed at Eagles’ OTAs following A.J. Brown’s departure – ESPN
There was a mixed reaction to receiver A.J. Brown’s departure by his former Eagles teammates Tuesday, ranging from a sense of loss to relief that the saga is now in the rearview mirror. “I think this is more of a — it sounds terrible — but like, thank God it’s over. It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out?” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense.” Brown was traded to the New England Patriots on Monday in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. The move had been expected for weeks following a frustration-filled 2025 season during which Brown made his dissatisfaction with the Eagles’ offense plainly known. Brown, though, made a resounding impact during his four years in Philadelphia, complete with two seasons with 1,400-plus receiving yards, two trips to the Super Bowl and a world championship. He was also a force in the locker room, as players expressed Tuesday following practice.
An overlooked part of A.J. Brown’s legacy with Eagles – NBCSP
So the day after the Eagles pulled off a blockbuster trade to send Brown to the New England Patriots, Mitchell and DeJean remembered Brown fondly. For two years, Brown practiced against them daily and helped them reach their potential. That’s part of Brown’s legacy in Philly too. “I learned a lot (from Brown),” DeJean said. “Not only on the field but off the field. Just him holding me accountable day in and day out and pushing me to be the best that I can be on and off the field. Just watching how he went about his business in the building and on the practice field was really cool to see and I learned a lot from him.” DeJean said that Brown’s faith in him pushed him last season. DeJean wanted to live up to the All-Pro Coop (APC) nickname given to him by Brown. But it was actually Mitchell who got to see Brown the most during practices.
Albert Breer’s Notes: How the Patriots Will Use A.J. Brown and Their Receiver Group – SI
Eagles’ and Patriots’ complementary receivers. Interestingly enough, both teams in the deal will be looking to get more from an ex-Packer departing Green Bay’s crowded receiver room, which was stocked with more talent, perhaps, than opportunity for the guys working within it. In March, the Patriots did a three-year, $51 million deal with Romeo Doubs, who flashed in the playoffs but never had a 700-yard season as a Packer. A month later, Philly flipped fifth- and seventh-round picks to Green Bay for Dontayvion Wicks, and tacked a year on to his deal, hoping they can tap into the potential that was always there, but never fully realized in Green Bay. He never even got to 600 yards in a season. Doubs will be a complement to the Eagles’ former No. 1 in New England. Wicks will be a complement to their new No. 1, DeVonta Smith, as well as first-round pick Makai Lemon.
Spadaro: You think DeVonta Smith’s approach is different? Think again – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
If you expected that wide receiver DeVonta Smith would be any different heading into this 2026 campaign than he’s been in his prior offseasons, you haven’t taken time to know DeVonta Smith. In a seven-minute question-and-answer session with the Philadelphia media on Tuesday, Smith made many things crystal clear .. Asked about his mindset, and if anything is different for 2026, Smith was on point. “No, I’m going to do the same things I’ve been doing.” His reaction to the trade of wide receiver A.J. Brown? “Business is business,” he said. “I don’t have any say in that.” On his feelings of being a “bonafide No. 1 wide receiver,” as he was asked by a reporter: “I think that when you have a room like the one we have,” he said, “it brings the best out in everybody else. Everybody wants to compete. Everybody wants to be the best. We’re all there to help each other. But ultimately, we’re all there to compete for the position … at the end of the day, it’s all love. I’m just going out there and doing my job, regardless of whether you want to look at it as one, two, three, four.”
Philadelphia Eagles All-PFF Team: The best players of the past 20 years – PFF
The Eagles’ offense was relatively straightforward to assemble. The 2022 and 2024 teams produced two of the highest-scoring seasons in franchise history, and more than half of the offensive starters come from those rosters. DeSean Jackson and Zach Ertz both rank among the top five players in franchise history in receiving yards.
A.J. Brown still in awe after long-awaited Patriots arrival – Pats Pulpit
Less than 24 hours after being traded to the Patriots, A.J. Brown departed the New Balance Athletics Center and made his way up the conditioning hill to the team’s practice field on Tuesday. Ahead of his first practice with the team he grew up cheering for, Brown made sure to soak in the moment. “Just talking to my mom, I was like, ‘Man, I’m still in awe.’ I’m trying to adjust and walking up the hill with the uniform on, I was like, ‘Man, this is real,’” Brown said. That feeling stuck with him even after the helmet came on and the football began. “I caught myself one point in practice, wasn’t paying attention because I was like, ‘Dang, I’m a Patriot.’ Just trying to take it all in as much as I can. Obviously, I got back to work quickly. There’s levels to it, and as I said, I’m enjoying it. “I know this ain’t heaven, but it’s close to it.”
The 49ers won’t play A.J. Brown in ‘26 after the Eagles traded him out of the NFC – Niners Nation
The Eagles feel like a prime regression candidate this season. DeVonta Smith moves to the WR1 role. He’s as good if not better than advertised. However, rookie Makai Lemon would then need to fill either Brown or Smith’s shoes. Good luck with that. Add in an offensive line that is seemingly always banged up, with a quarterback who isn’t decisive, and it puts a lot of pressure on Vic Fangio’s defense to be flawless. Hot take: The Eagles will be on the brink, if not out of, the playoff picture by the time they travel to Santa Clara in December.
Browns: Jim Schwartz on Garrett’s greatness and missing out on HC – Dawgs By Nature
“We had a lot of success on defense, and the Browns made a change at head coach and passed over me, even with all the success we had, and the ability we had to develop players, and seeing our best players having their best years. That was their decision; they wanted to go with an offensive guy and chose Todd, and I’m fine with that. But they can’t expect me to stay on board after that. In any profession, if you get passed over for a promotion when you have done a good job and you thought you were in line for the promotion, it is time to go.”
Ranking the Cowboys 5 biggest player upgrades for 2026 – Blogging The Boys
1) Caleb Downs over…. There is no doubt that Caleb Downs will likely be the biggest difference-maker to the Cowboys defense in 2026. Whether it’s starting at the nickel, playing down in the box with aggressiveness as run defender or blitzer, or playing the deep safety spot and taking away the deep-third, he will be everywhere for the Cowboys in 2026. Downs has been talked about a lot as the nickel player in Christian Parker’s defense. That will ask him to play in coverage against slot receivers a ton, but do not expect him to just be a slot corner in Dallas. With all the new additions to the Cowboys defense this offseason, where Downs ultimately lines up will likely depend on the opponent, the down-and-distance, and what the defense is trying to take away in that particular week. Downs will be wearing too many hats to know exactly what position he will be upgrading, but realistically he’s the caliber of player you could line up anywhere (except for defensive tackle) and he’s likely going to make an impact and improve your defense.
Seven NFL teams that addressed glaring weaknesses this offseason: Bengals, Cowboys, Ravens boosted D – NFL.com
WEAKNESS: Offensive defense. For the second straight year, Dallas’ defense was a legitimate liability in 2025, allowing the most points (30.1 per game) and third-most yards (377.0 per game) in the league, as well as the highest success rate (47.6%) and EPA/play (0.13) to opposing offenses. Then the Cowboys traded away two defensive tackles and lost three linebackers (two to free agency and one to retirement). But Jerry Jones and Co. didn’t sit idly this offseason. They traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary and linebacker Dee Winters, signed multiple defensive backs and defensive linemen and then drafted five defensive players in the first four rounds, including defensive back Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23. They also replaced DC Matt Eberflus with Vic-Fangio disciple Christian Parker. Between new personnel and new scheme, Dallas has prioritized solving its defensive woes and laid the groundwork for a resurgence in 2026.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin on Jayden Daniels chemistry, David Blough – Hogs Haven
Terry McLaurin wasn’t around the Commanders this time last year. He skipped the offseason program, illustrating his desire for a new contract. It took some time, but he eventually got one, signing a three-year deal worth up to $96 million on Aug. 25. The process cost him valuable time working with quarterback Jayden Daniels that, a calendar year later, those two sorely missed. “While I was going into Year 7, Jayden was going into Year 2,” McLaurin said in a press conference after Tuesday’s OTA session. “Our connection is extremely important to build during this time. That’s why we wanted to jump on it as early as possible.”
A.J. Brown impact: Did the Philadelphia Eagles just trade away the division? – Big Blue View
We don’t know for certain, but it does sound like the decision to move Brown was driven by interpersonal dynamics behind the scenes. If so, that supersedes what happens on the field, as a fractured locker room is impossible for any team to survive. As Harbaugh said back in January, the Giants still have to beat the Cowboys and Commanders. But all three teams’ primary goal is beating the Eagles to take the division crown away, and it’s entirely possible that Philly just traded away the division when they traded A.J. Brown.
NFL power rankings updated after Myles Garrett, A.J. Brown trades – SB Nation
It isn’t often that we feel the need to issue new power rankings in June. Normally, it’s a slow time in the NFL calendar where everyone is waiting for training camp to open and focusing on other things — but two cataclysmic trades on Monday shook everything up. The big one is Myles Garrett heading to the Rams. It’s almost impossible to overstate how huge this is going to be for Los Angeles. The reigning NFL DPOY, who has been terrorizing teams and thriving despite lacking organizational support now goes to one of the most successful, established teams in the league. Garrett is going to wreak havoc, so the Rams move up. Later in the day the long-rumored A.J. Brown to the Patriots deal finally got done. It gives Drake Maye the breakout deep-threat receiver the team has been desperate for, and will help the Pats take another step forward. Naturally they move up too. Here are our latest power rankings after not just the trades that occurred on June 1, but deals which have taken place in the last month or so.
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