There is growing speculation that the New England Patriots might be a strong contender to trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
If the Eagles are considering trading Brown, it may not happen until after June 1. That’s because Philadelphia would incur a hefty $43 million cap hit if it traded Brown before that date, and there could be another reason the Eagles may wait until the summer to trade Brown, which wouldn't be good news for New England.
ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter believes the Eagles are more inclined to accept draft picks from 2027 and 2028 rather than those from 2026, given that they currently hold nine picks in this year's draft.
"(The Eagles) are scheduled to have 11 or 12 picks in this (year’s NFL) Draft," Schefter said Wednesday on 97.5 The Fanatic. "I don’t think there are 11 or 12 draft picks that can make the Eagles' roster. I don’t think picks in this draft matter all that much to them (in a potential AJ Brown deal). Of course, picks in every draft matter, but I think if they had their choice, it would be picks in 2027 and 2028; that matter more.
"They already have ample picks in the upcoming draft. I don’t think they need more picks in 2026, they would probably like to spread it out, and this is not supposed to be a great draft. The 2027 draft is supposed to be ( string draft), to me I’d want as much draft pick ammo in 2027 and maybe 2028, more so than 2026.”
If the Eagles are serious about taking picks in 2027 and 2028, rather than 2026, that might discourage the Patriots from making a deal. It will likely take a first-round pick for Philadelphia to move Brown. If the Patriots could let go of their first-round pick this year, which is No. 31 overall, it wouldn't be a huge loss since it’s practically a second-round selection. However, if they need to part with a first-rounder in 2027, it could turn out to be a mid-round pick depending on how their season plays out.
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