The New England Patriots are gearing up for the 2026 NFL draft, but all eyes remain firmly on Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, as trade rumors linking him to the Pats continue to swirl. While general manager Eliot Wolf recently provided a subdued answer on a potential trade for Brown, head coach Mike Vrabel's recent comments on the situation were a stark contrast.
Vrabel's presence in New England is believed to be one of the main reasons the team has a chance of acquiring Brown, as the two worked together during their time with the Tennessee Titans. Unsurprisingly, Vrabel was asked about Brown at the league meetings on Tuesday, and he refused to close the door on a potential trade.
"We've talked about this since last January. We're going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition," Vrabel said. “So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we're going to try to do."
At his best, Brown is one of the top big-play threats in the NFL. He had a down year by his standards in 2025, but he still caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games of action. Should he wind up in New England, he would immediately become Drake Maye's top target in the passing game.
From the Eagles' perspective, it doesn't make sense to trade Brown until June 1 now, as waiting until then would save them around $20 million in salary cap space. As a result, it may be a while until the Pats make a move for Brown, but these rumors clearly won't be going away in the immediate future.
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