Trade offers for Eagles’ A.J. Brown: Four potential new teams

NFL teams can’t officially The deal doesn’t last until the new league year starts on March 11, but they could begin negotiating and agreeing terms before then. And one star player at the center of trade speculation is Eagles wide receiver aj brown. Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman downplay No trade talks in January, but what if Brown is actually available?

We asked NFL analysts Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Ben Solak and Seth Walder to play the role of general manager of four different teams and formulate a realistic trade proposal for the Browns. Then we asked Eagles reporter Tim McManus to weigh in on what Roseman and the team can do this offseason.

Here’s how our market simulation went, starting with some background on Brown’s situation and ending with a verdict on a potential new landing spot.

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Brown has arguably been the best receiver in Eagles history, posting two 1,400-yard seasons while helping the team to a pair of Super Bowls in four years. And last season he had 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. But his frustrations with shortcomings in the passing game reached new levels in 2025 and affected his play.

Brown’s video surfaced calling her status A “s— show” in November, and he expressed his dissatisfaction on several occasions before acquiescing to CEO Jeffrey Lurie. Demand To minimize public airing of their grievances. The front office knows how important Brown has been to the Eagles’ success, but they need to determine if he will commit to the operation and stick with the quarterback. jalen hurts Moving forward.

If the Eagles are confident that won’t happen, the trade may be justified. If they deal him before June 1, they would absorb a dead-cap hit of more than $40 million, while a trade struck after that date would result in a dead-cap hit of less than $20 million. His current cap hit for 2026 is $23.4 million.

Any move would come with an initial loss but would free up money in the long term, which they could use to sign some of their rising stars to second contracts, including jalen carter, Quinyon Mitchell And cooper degen. According to the roster management system, the team that acquires Brown will be responsible for his $29 million salary in 2026 and approximately $4 million in guaranteed money in 2027. –Tim McManus, Eagles reporter

Four hypothetical trade proposals for the Browns

Jeremy Fowler offers:

Why this deal is worth it: The Browns then have two first-round picks (Nos. 6 and 24) travis hunter Business In April 2025. They could use the No. 6 pick on an offensive lineman and send No. 24 to the Eagles in exchange for Brown. It will upgrade immediately New head coach Todd Monken’s offenseThat along with an already strong defense gives the passing game a fighting chance. Cleveland’s WR room totaled 1,467 receiving yards in 2025, which was worst in the NFL.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry is an ex-Eagles executive who has ties to Roseman. Cleveland is interested in making a splash receiver trade, having acquired Odell Beckham Jr., Amari Cooper and jerry judy During Berry’s tenure. All three players posted 1,000-yard seasons in Year 1 with the Browns.

Dan Graziano offers:

Why this deal is worth it: Does general manager Brandon Beane think so or Noquarterback josh allen The defense against stress could really benefit from a true No. 1 wide receiver. And Brown’s 2026 contract isn’t overpaid financially for a top WR.

It’s hard to imagine Buffalo getting a surefire, immediate-impact playmaker in their current draft slot in the first round. So why not use it to get someone experienced? Is there a more win-win situation than Buffalo right now? For the Eagles, trading a first-round pick for a 28-year-old wide receiver who only has one year of guaranteed money left on his contract doesn’t seem like a bad return.

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Will AJ Brown still be with the Eagles next season?

Jeff Saturday and Dan Graziano debate whether AJ Brown will still play for the Philadelphia Eagles next season.

Ben Solak offers:

• The Eagles get: 2027 second-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick (conditional third-rounder), WR Rashod Bateman

• Crows get: brown

Why this deal is worth it: One clear lesson from the Ravens’ 2025 season was that their current group of catchers is inadequate. While they will not need to take any action it hardThey would benefit from having a receiver with size and competitive-catch ability – something every quarterback can do. lamar jackson Never enjoyed it in its seven seasons.

By acquiring him for Bateman, the Ravens can give Brown the volume and usage of a true WR1 Jai Phool As a big-play WR2 – something that is more suited to his skill set. in philadelphia, devonta smith Obviously destined to be the WR1; Bateman represents Roseman’s classic buy-low move on a player with high draft capital but modest career production.

It is difficult to ascertain trade returns for Brown, as he does not have many prime years left and it would be costly for the Eagles to trade him before June 1. So I’m offering a deal focused on 2027 draft capital, including a conditional selection based on reaching 1,000 yards and making the playoffs in 2026.

Seth Walder offers:

• The Eagles get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 31), 2026 third-round pick and 2026 sixth-round pick

• The Patriots get: Browns, 2026 second-round pick

Why this deal is worth it: patriots made it Super Bowl With a lackluster receiver group that had only one player post over 600 yards (stefon diggs). But it won’t be as easy in 2026, as they have a tough regular season schedule and it’s unlikely AFC teams with elite quarterbacks will be in contention for New England again. Brown, who has a successful history with coach Mike Vrabel at Tennessee, is a logical fit to provide an immediate upgrade.

Even though Brown’s production was down last season, the underlying metrics show he was still elite. he finished sixth ESPN’s overall receiver score And was in the top 10 in open scores. Brown may hardly be a freebie, but he would add value given his current contract and level of play. The Patriots are surrendering their first-round pick here, but it’s actually a big drop because they get a second-round pick back.

Verdict: No proposal gets the job done

Why would I want to make these teams better and my own teams worse? This has essentially been Roseman’s public stance on the situation. Brown is the type of player you try to acquire, not get rid of – and that’s completely understandable. So if I’m the Eagles here, I’m going to do everything in my power to make the situation work — and as long as hope outweighs doubt, I’m rejecting all four offers.

Let’s assume for the sake of this exercise that trade is the only way forward. Again, I would accept Fowler’s offer from the Browns simply because it involves a higher first-round pick (No. 24) than Graziano’s offer from the Bills (No. 26). Walder’s offer has a first-rounder selection, but requires giving up a second-round selection, which would move me away from that Patriots option. And Solak’s offer with the Ravens was interesting, but I wouldn’t go with a first-rounder.

Will the Browns’ camp try to bring him in as a more prepared contender than Cleveland? I would imagine so. But it’s a lesson for both sides that the grass is not always greener. Sometimes, it is more brown. — mcmanus