There are many folks in the NFL media who are attempting to figure out what the Patriots will do this summer. While there will be alternatives at quarterback, running back, tight end, and along the offensive line, the options at one critical offensive position—wide receiver—are significantly reduced. According to supply and demand, if a No. 1 receiver is genuinely coming to New England next season, he will have to be acquired through a Patriots trade.
And such a transaction could be pricey.
On the Bleacher Report podcast “Off the Edge” with Jake Ellenbogen and former NFL player Cameron Lynch, they put up a doozy of a prospective package for standout Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, whose dissatisfaction with the club has been well documented. Brown is now in the middle of a four-year, $100 million contract extension, which he signed in 2022.
If the Eagles decide to rebuild after last year’s end-of-season disaster, the Patriots could swoop in and steal Brown from them. It just won’t be cheap: the proposed price includes New England’s second, third, and fourth round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.
A. J. Brown Among the top receivers in the NFL.
Brown commands a high price, but this is due to his status as a true number one receiver. Last season, he had 106 catches and 1,456 yards, earning his third Pro Bowl nomination, and Pro Football Focus rated him 90.0, ranking him as the league’s No. 9 receiver. Brown is only 26 years old and is in the prime of his career, and the receiver market has few options left.
“A second, a third and a fourth, it’s a lot, but hey, what better way to ring in a new era of Patriots football than to bring in a franchise quarterback at Pick 3?” Ellenbogen puzzled. The Patriots could take Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye with the third pick, but they’d have to give up their next three picks to acquire Brown.
“I don’t know why, but I can see this,” Ellenbogen stated. “I can picture AJ Brown wearing a Patriots uniform. I’m not sure why; I know they’re currently in negotiations to sign Kendrick Bourne, and they discovered Demario Douglas last year; he’s a fun guy to watch. However, in the end, I think this is a good move for them. I understand why you would want to play with a newbie. “If you want to be ‘the guy’, go to New England. If you don’t want to play that game, go there.”
The Patriots trade would be a long shot.
Now, it seems unlikely that the Eagles will genuinely consider trading Brown. He is simply too talented a player, regardless of the headaches he has caused. It’s also unlikely that the Patriots would give up three top picks in the midst of a deep draft, given how desperately the team needs depth at every offensive position, as well as some on defence.
However, a trade by the Patriots for Brown would bring both player and team full circle. Remember, Brown was high on the Patriots’ draft board in 2019, with the 32nd and final choice in the first round.
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However, the Patriots made a critical, and all too usual, drafting misstep by selecting future bust N’Keal Harry above Brown (not to mention Deebo Samuel).
Brown was so confident that the Patriots would take him in that spot that when the Harry pick came in, he later recounted, “It said the pick was in.” I know I haven’t received a phone call by now. So I’m thinking, ‘This s*** is over.’ So I told my brother and D, and I said, ‘Bro, let’s go.’ And I went home without everyone else. I walked into the closet and cried my eyes out. “I swear.
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