The long-awaited A.J. Brown trade is nearly upon us and it’ll be interesting to FINALLY find out what the Philadelphia Eagles are getting in return for him from the New England Patriots. (Or some other team … but almost definitely the Pats.)
There’s been an expectation that the Eagles will be receiving a 2028 first-round pick with New England reluctant to part with their top selection in the much-anticipated 2027 NFL Draft. That sentiment apparently matches up with what an actual NFL general manager is hearing the Eagles will get back for Brown.
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Via Jason La Canfora for SportsBoom (bold emphasis mine):
One general manager, who is not involved in the process but has been in contact with several parties who are, said: “I hear it’s New England for a 2028 first-round pick. He’s a good football player, but that’s a helluva deal for (Eagles GM) Howie (Roseman).” […] Another general manager, who said he was unsure of the compensation but expected Brown to be with New England by the end of the week, said, “It’s getting done. Howie is ready to put this behind him.”
Further, former Eagles president Joe Banner claims a trade has long been agreed to by now. This despite recent reports that a deal between the Birds and Pats is “not particularly close” and could drag on for some time.
Brown’s market never seemed incredibly robust but he’s a still a top talent and the Pats have a big need at receiver. The Eagles getting less than a first-round pick for him would feel underwhelming. It would be ideal if that selection helped the team sooner (2027) rather than later (2028) but there’s still plenty of value to be had with acquiring such a pick. Case in point: the Eagles just used a high 2026 third-round pick (on Markel Bell) from the New York Jets via the Haason Reddick trade that was made back in 2024.
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We’ll soon see if this anonymous general manager was right and also if there are any conditions attached to the pick or other draft pick swaps involved. But maybe it’s just as clean as the Eagles getting a 2028 first-round pick and the Pats getting Brown. We’ll see.
What do you think about this rumored return? Sound off in the comments below!
