A.J. Brown
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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
The Philadelphia Eagles seem to be on the path to trading superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown — a move that’s more to create stability in the locker room than anything else.
Dealing Brown anywhere is going to cost a pretty penny for whatever team wants him and the team he leaves behind, as a post-June 1 trade would still come with a $16.4 million dead cap hit for the Eagles.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed the Los Angeles Rams as the No. 1 trade destination for Brown in a trade. That’s a team the Eagles might be smart to try to avoid at all costs.
“Brown is a proven, productive commodity,” Davenport wrote. “In seven NFL seasons, he has hit 1,000 yards six times. His price tag would likely be a first-rounder, an additional pick and maybe a player. However, the three-time Pro Bowler is going to want a new contract—he has no guaranteed money on his current deal after 2026. He would likely want to be dealt to a contender. And if the Eagles deal him before June 1, they will incur a massive $43.5 million dead cap hit. So if a deal is coming, it probably will not happen until later this summer.”
While the Eagles should definitely explore trading Brown if they haven’t already made a decision they’re 100 percent going to, the Rams are 1 of the teams they should avoid at all costs.
Trading Brown to Fellow NFC Contenders: BAD
Trading Brown to the Rams would be a disaster in that it gives a fellow NFC contender essentially the 1 piece they need in order to make it to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles defeated the Rams in the playoffs 2 years on their way to winning the Super Bowl and the Rams played in the NFC Championship Game this season, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Even in a move that would bring the Eagles back a player like wide receiver Davante Adams, it’s not worth it. Imagine the blowback if Brown were to torch the Eagles in a playoff game? That could cost everyone their jobs, from the executives to the coaches to the players to the ball boys and people serving beers at halftime.
It’s also something the Eagles seem to have indicated they want to avoid.
Trading Brown to an AFC Contenders: GOOD
The revelation came after Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills in March. The Bills were considered one of the leading teams in the hunt to obtain Brown from the Eagles.
“The Bills trading for WR D.J. Moore would theoretically take them out of the A.J. Brown market,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote on his official X account. “They checked in with theEagles about their wide receiver, from what I understand. Patriots and Ravens are the most likely potential partners, especially as I understand it, the Eagles inclined to only deal with AFC teams.”
Brown started his career in the AFC, playing his 1st 3 seasons for the Tennessee Titans before he was traded to the Eagles before the 2022 season.