Andrew Buller-Russ
The NFL’s worst-kept secret is that the Philadelphia Eagles are planning to trade A.J. Brown after June 1, which would allow them to face a significantly reduced cap hit. Part of that assumption is that the Eagles are set to trade Brown to the New England Patriots, where he’d reunite with his former head coach, Mike Vrabel.
But that might not be set in stone. Previous reports indicated that the Eagles and Patriots have not reached a verbal agreement. Now, there’s even more meat on the bone.
Related: New England Patriots’ Expensive Free Agency Signing Dubbed as a Mistake
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, a trade sending Brown to the Patriots is “not particularly close.”
“As far as the actual trade, we’re all waiting for June 1 to happen, so the cap hit is in half for the Philadelphia Eagles and they can trade (Brown),” Rapoport said. “I just don’t know that it’s going to be like ‘snap your fingers and the deal is done,’ because the two sides are where they have been — which is the Eagles wanting a first-round pick in 2027. The Patriots — being the most likely destination, we’ll see if someone else arises — but the Patriots [are] not willing to give up a first-round pick, as of right now. That means they’re not particularly close, and there’s a chance this could drag on for the foreseeable future.”
Not much has changed this offseason. The Eagles and Patriots have long known what’s at stake and what type of player is up for negotiation. Yet, now that the 2026 NFL Draft is over, the Patriots’ best chance to add an immediate contributor is via trade.
Of course, there’s always the possibility of New England falling in love with the idea of signing one of the top free agents remaining, such as Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, or Deebo Samuel, in which they wouldn’t have to part with any draft compensation.
Related: 7 NFL Players Who Could Get Traded in June
