Before the Rams decided to throw the NFL news cycle into overdrive by trading for a future Hall of Famer in Myles Garrett, there was another trade that was supposed to dominate June 1. And after months of waiting, the Eagles and Patriots finally consummated their long-rumored deal, with wide receiver A.J. Brown heading to New England to join Drake Maye's offense. The Eagles pick up a 2028 first-round pick in return for their star wideout, with an additional 2027 fifth-rounder heading to Philadelphia to complete the deal.
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There's no obvious winner or loser in this deal, but there's a lot to break down. Why did the two sides take so long to actually execute the deal? What does it tell us about the state of the Eagles? Can they replace Brown? And moving to the third team of his NFL career, does Brown still profile as the elite wide receiver we saw early in his run in Philadelphia?
I'll touch on all that here as we size up the move from all angles, starting with what Brown brings to the table.
Jump to: Brown's fit with the Pats | The Eagles' return The timing of the deal | The Eagles' future
What Brown brings to the Patriots
When the Eagles made their bet to trade a first-round pick (and a late third-rounder) for Brown during the 2022 draft, it's worth remembering that it wasn't the sort of no-brainer it looks like with hindsight. The Titans famously didn't want to pay Brown, with the wide receiver suggesting that their offer was worth only $16 million per season before incentives. Brown reportedly wanted $22 million per year to sign with the team, and after the Eagles were left at the altar by Allen Robinson in what would have been a disastrous free agent signing, GM Howie Roseman offered Brown $25 million per season as part of his first extension with the Eagles.
While things ended in a blizzard of drops and meetings with the Eagles, the trade turned out to be one of the more lopsided and dramatic deals in the non-quarterback division of recent league annals. It arguably led to the firing of general manager Jon Robinson in Tennessee and restored Roseman's reputation with Eagles fans, who wanted the Super Bowl winner fired for selecting Jalen Reagor ahead of Justin Jefferson two years earlier. Brown also played a huge role in helping friend and quarterback Jalen Hurts get to the next level, with the Eagles quarterback becoming an MVP candidate and eventually taking Philly to a second Super Bowl championship under Roseman.