Even with Romeo Doubs arriving on a four-year, $68 million free agency deal, the New England Patriots are not done looking to improve their wide receiver position. One name that keeps getting mentioned is A.J. Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles star reportedly on the trade block.
The Patriots remain interested in Brown, but the two sides have not been able to work out a deal so far. With free agency starting to wind down, little seems to be changing: as reported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, “no
move is imminent.”
There are several factors complicating a trade, starting with the asking price. Philadelphia is rumored to be looking for a value equivalent of first- and second-round draft picks to move the 28-year-old, a compensation New England has not shown any willingness to meet.
In addition, the Eagles would have to absorb a $43.5 million dead cap hit were they to move on from Brown before June 1. The financial parameters of a trade would change after that deadline, and make it more financially viable from a Philadelphia perspective.
Further complicating matters for the Eagles is the status of tight end Dallas Goedert, whose contract is set to void soon to add another $20.5 million to the team’s cap. But while that deadline could have led to some action on the trade front, it appears nothing is expected to transpire in the immediate future. Obviously, though, the June 1 deadline looms large and could change teams’ efforts to pursue Brown.
The Patriots are still expected to be on the forefront of that movement, with the Rams also having been mentioned as a potential landing spot. The only thing we know for sure at this point is that the Brown trade rumors will not be going away anytime soon.
