After a turbulent 2025 in Philadelphia, trade rumors have popped up with A.J. Brown once again.
If the Eagles do opt to move their star wide receiver, the Patriots are a logical trade partner. New England still lacks a true No. 1 wideout and Brown came into the league under coach Mike Vrabel. The two spent three seasons together in Tennessee and Brown developed a real respect for the way Vrabel runs a team.
So what would it take to bring Brown to Foxborough?
In an exercise at ESPN, insiders put together four hypothetical offers for Brown from different teams. One of those was New England, and Seth Walder outlined a potential deal from the Patriots’ perspective.
In it, the Eagles would receive New England’s 2026 first-round pick (No. 31), a 2026 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
In return, the Patriots would get Brown and a 2026 second-round pick.
“Even though Brown’s production was down last season, the underlying metrics suggest he was still elite,” Walder writes. “He finished sixth in ESPN’s overall receiver score and was in the top 10 in open score. Brown is hardly free, but he would add value on his current contract and level of play. The Patriots are surrendering their first-round pick here, but it’s really a large trade down since they get a second-round pick back.”
Ultimately, ESPN’s Tim McManus — playing Eagles GM Howie Roseman — didn’t deem any of the potential offers good enough, so the Patriots may have to add more to any deal if they actually want to see Brown in Foxborough.