A.J. Brown Fallout: Roseman, Rams, Hurts
The long-awaited A.J. Brown trade between the Eagles and Patriots finally came together on Monday. Before agreeing to ship out a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder for Brown, the Patriots held out hope the Eagles would accept a package headlined by a second-rounder, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The sides began discussing the 2028 first-rounder about a month ago, Rapoport adds.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was not going to move Brown unless he got a Round 1 selection back, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.
Speaking with the media on Monday, Roseman said: “I think that when we looked at the totality of the circumstances and having the conversations we had with him, felt like where we were, where we were going, where he was, that if we could find something that kind of achieved our goals of getting a first-round pick going forward here in the near future, getting the money back to spend on other players on our team and other teams, and it was a win-win situation based on where he was and how he felt, we were open to that.”
The first-rounder Roseman received is still two years down the line, but having to wait isn’t a big deal to him.
“We’ve always been in the mindset a pick is a pick — a first-round pick is a first-round pick,” he said. “Doesn’t matter. Teams are still going to be playing football in 2028.”
The Eagles now have two firsts in 2028, which Roseman regards as “a huge, huge part of this move.” Meanwhile, the Patriots have a new No. 1 receiver in Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro who is entering his age-29 campaign. Brown will reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel, a key figure earlier in his career in Tennessee. Brown played for Vrabel over his first three seasons.
In a post-trade interview with Maria Taylor on “7PM in Brooklyn,” Brown revealed he thought his “time was up” in Philadelphia after the season. While Brown went over 1,000 yards for the sixth time in his seven-year career, he voiced frustration with the Eagles’ sputtering offense on multiple occasions. Brown admitted he should have gone about things differently in public and on social media, but he noted: “Nothing I said was ever for personal gain. it was to help the team win.”
Philadelphia ran roughshod over the NFL during a 14-win regular season in 2024 and capped off the campaign with a blowout victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The team took home its second straight NFC East title last year, but it hardly resembled the juggernaut from the previous season. The Eagles went 11-6 and quickly bowed out of the playoffs in a wild-card round loss to the 49ers. Brown believes the defending champion Eagles pressed as a result of the high expectations they placed on themselves. He also revealed he and quarterback Jalen Hurts drifted apart during the season.
“Not as close as we once were,” Brown said. “And I believe that’s fine. There’s no bad blood. There’s actually still a lot of love.”
Brown will now work with a new quarterback in the Patriots’ Drake Maye, though there was a possibility of him joining Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. The Rams ultimately bowed out of trade talks, leaving New England as the only real suitor for Brown. It turns out the Rams backed out because they “weren’t satisfied by what they saw” in Brown’s medicals, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer said on the “unCovering the Birds” podcast.
Brown has a history of knee issues, but Roseman downplayed that when McLane asked and lauded the receiver’s durability. He missed six of a possible 68 regular-season games with the Eagles, though a few of those absences came as a result of hamstring problems.
When asked about his knee after the trade, Brown responded (via Karen Guregian of MassLive.com): “Maybe in four years I’ve missed one game from a shot to the knee. So, that’s nothing to worry about. I’m ready to go.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/3/26
Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Jaden Smith
New York Jets
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Da’Quan Felton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Chandler Martin
After only two days, Felton and Martin see their fortunes reversed. Martin is rejoining the team that waived him on Monday. The Jets will return Felton to the waiver wire two days after signing him with the apparent intent of reverting him to their injured reserve once he clears waivers.
Eagles Release DE Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham‘s latest stint with the Eagles has come to an end, but it might not take long for the defensive end to work his way back on the roster. Zach Berman of The Athletic reports that the Eagles have released the 38-year-old.
[RELATED: Eagles DE Brandon Graham To Play In 2026?]
However, Berman describes this as a “procedural” move. Graham inked a one-year deal last October that ended his temporary retirement. That pact was set to expire on June 3 unless the two sides worked out a new deal. A contract apparently didn’t come to fruition before the deadline, resulting in today’s release. Berman notes that Graham is still interested in returning to Philly for another season.
Graham has logged 215 appearances (106 starts) during his career, all of which has been spent with the Eagles. Since being selected in the first round of the 2010 draft, the defensive lineman has tallied 79.5 sacks and 128 tackles for loss. He’s also won a pair of championships with the organization.
The veteran saw a reduced role in recent years, culminating in a 2024 campaign where he earned a 19% snap share, the lowest of his career. Graham decided to hang up his cleats following that season, but he was coaxed out of retirement last October as the Eagles navigated injuries to their pass-rush corps. Despite 2025 representing Graham’s age-37 season, he still managed to compile three sacks and two tackles for loss in nine games.
The Eagles don’t currently have the need for excess edge depth. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt will once again lead the unit, and the front office reinforced the position with their trade for Jonathan Greenard and signing of Arnold Ebiketie. Graham was used a bit at defensive tackle in 2025, so that multi-positional versatility would work in his favor when it comes to a potential return. When you also consider his veteran leadership, it’s easy to imagine the Eagles eventually re-signing Graham, even if he’s only guaranteed a very limited defensive role.
Pats Acquire A.J. Brown From Eagles
After months of speculation, the A.J. Brown saga will finally reach an expected conclusion. The Eagles are trading the star wide receiver to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The fifth-round selection will be the higher of the two New England owns (it also has Chicago’s), per Albert Breer of SI.com. It’s a conditional pick, according to Howard Balzer of Cards Wire.
This is the second trade centering on Brown, who entered the NFL as the Titans’ second-rounder in 2019. Brown excelled in his three years in Tennessee, but after a contract impasse, the team dealt him to the Eagles for a first- and third-rounder in 2022.
The swap worked out beautifully for Philadelphia, which gave Brown a four-year, $100MM extension and saw him turn into one of the greatest players in franchise history. He earned second-team All-Pro honors three times and picked up three Pro Bowl nods during his four years as an Eagle. Brown was also an integral part of a Super Bowl-winning team in 2024.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old Brown wrapped up his Eagles tenure with 339 receptions, 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns in 62 regular-season games. He played full seasons in Philadelphia from 2022-23, but knee and ankle issues held him out of four games in 2024. He missed another two contests last year with a hamstring injury, but Brown still led the Eagles in targets (121) and catches (78).
Brown finished second on the Eagles’ 2025 squad in yards (1,003) and touchdowns (seven). However, Brown voiced displeasure over the Eagles’ struggling offense at various points in 2025. Owner Jeffrey Lurie met with Brown in mid-November and asked him to stop airing his grievances on social media.
The Eagles were an excellent 7-2 when Lurie visited with Brown, but they played .500 ball for the rest of the year. While that was enough for an 11-6 finish and a second straight NFC East title, the Eagles flamed out in the wild-card round. The offense looked lifeless in a 23-19 home loss to the 49ers, who held Brown to just three catches and 25 yards on seven targets. He dropped two passes and had a memorable first-half sideline dust-up with head coach Nick Sirianni. Although Sirianni downplayed it afterward and said the two “have a special relationship,” the incident added fuel to a potential trade at the outset of the Eagles’ offseason.
Despite Brown’s dissatisfaction with how last year went, general manager Howie Roseman was not going to give him away for anything less than a major offer. Roseman originally wanted a first- and second-rounder for Brown, who reportedly had the Patriots, Rams, Chiefs, Bills and Chargers on his wish list. However, only the Patriots and Rams were aggressive in talks for Brown.
After the draft passed with no deal, Roseman sought a first-rounder in what many expect to be a loaded 2027 class. Nobody bit, though, and the Rams wound up dropping out of the running. That left New England as the obvious destination for Brown, who will now reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel. The two formed a rapport when they were together in Tennessee for three years.
It was far more palatable from a financial standpoint for the Eagles to part with Brown after 4 p.m. ET on June 1, which largely explains the delay. Had Roseman traded Brown before then, the Eagles would have taken on a $43.51MM dead cap hit and lost $20.12MM in spending space. Waiting enables the Eagles to spread that money over the next two seasons ($16.35MM in 2026 and $27.1MM in ’27). They will also pick up $7MM in cap room this season. They entered the day with approximately $24.84MM available.
The Patriots came into the day with over $43MM in cap space, giving them plenty of room to take on Brown’s contract. He signed a second Eagles extension – a four-year, $96MM pact with $84MM in guarantees – in April 2024. That deal runs through 2029. While it remains to be seen if Brown will play it all the way through, he will give the Patriots and franchise quarterback Drake Maye a much-needed No. 1 receiver in the near term.
Stefon Diggs was New England’s most productive receiver during its shocking 14-3 regular season and run to Super Bowl LX in 2025. However, a few weeks after the Seahawks knocked off the Patriots in the Super Bowl, they released Diggs. The Pats subsequently brought in former Packer Romeo Doubs on a four-year, $68MM agreement in free agency, though he has been more of a No. 2/3 during his four-year career.
Brown and Doubs are in line to start for New England in 2026, while Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams are also among those in the fold. It is worth pointing out that the addition of Brown could bump someone from that group. Specifically, recent reports have named Boutte and Douglas as players who might be in jeopardy.
Joining the third team of his career, Brown will shoot for his seventh 1,000-yard season in 2026. His presence will be difficult for the Eagles to replace, but they did their best to prepare for his exit throughout the offseason. Before drafting former USC standout Makai Lemon 20th overall, the Eagles traded for ex-Packer Dontayvion Wicks and signed Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency.
Moore is not a lock to make the roster, but Lemon, Wicks and Marquise Brown are sure to give quarterback Jalen Hurts options behind new No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith. The Eagles also have a pair of talented pass-catching tight ends in Dallas Goedert and second-rounder Eli Stowers, the 54th pick in the draft. It will be up to rookie offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to make it work as the Eagles begin life after Brown.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/26
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Mac Dalena
- Waived: CB Daryl Porter Jr.
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Romello Brinson
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Derrick Graham
- Waived: G Sidy Sow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DT Quinton Bohanna
New York Giants
- Signed: OT Jarrod Gray
- Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski
- Released: LS Zach Triner
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Da’Quan Felton, LB Chase Wilson
- Waived: K Lenny Krieg
- Waived/injured: LB Kobe King
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: LB Chandler Martin
Myles Garrett Fallout: Schwartz, Eagles, Quotes
Following this afternoon’s stunning Myles Garrett trade, we’re learning new details about what ultimately led to the Browns deal with the Rams. Unlike last year, Garrett did not request a trade, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
[RELATED: Browns Trade Myles Garrett To Rams]
However, the reporter notes that “an air of uncertainty lingered over the relationship” between the player and the Browns, and Garrett remained open to “new scenery.” The player continued to make it clear that his commitment to the organization was contingent on them being competitive.
That obviously didn’t come to fruition in 2025, as the Browns finished with only five victories. However, Garrett did have a prolific season that saw him break the NFL sack record. The pass rusher also earned his second Defensive Player of the Year award, with both of his accolades coming while playing in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s system. So, it’s not a surprise that the Browns’ decision to pass over Schwartz for their head coaching gig “didn’t help matters” when it came to Garrett sticking in Cleveland, per Oyefusi.
We heard earlier that the Rams were persistent in their pursuit of the defender, but the Browns did make their star edge rusher available to other potential suitors. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that the list of landing spots ultimately proved to be limited since Cleveland was focused on acquiring a “young, ascending pass rusher” in exchange for Garrett. The team specifically had eyes on Jared Verse, so the Rams were seemingly in the driver seat throughout the unofficial sweepstakes.
One team that also expressed interest in acquiring Garrett was the Eagles, although NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ryan Fowler describes their pursuit as more “exploratory.” Fowler believes Philly would have had to surrender someone like Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt plus a combination of picks to pull off the blockbuster trade, and the Eagles front office determined that asking price was the “tipping point.” Jalen Carter was also mentioned as a potential trade target of the Browns, but Fowler says there was “zero potential” of that swap coming to fruition.
The Browns continually stated that they wanted Garrett to play his entire career in Cleveland, and their four-year, $160MM reinforced that point. Browns GM Andrew Berry provided some insight into what changed the front office’s mind about dealing their star player.
“We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Berry said (via Bleacher Report’s James Palmer). “After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown.
Eagles To Sign WR Samori Toure
With A.J. Brown‘s departure nearing, the Eagles are making yet another receiver addition. Samori Toure has agreed to a deal with Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Toure began his career with the Packers, seeing game action with them in 2022 and again in 2023. Having remained in the organization during the summer of 2024 he is familiar to Sean Mannion, whose coaching tenure began with Green Bay that year. Mannion is now the Eagles’ offensive coordinator.
After failing to survive roster cutdowns in 2024, Toure made an intra-divisional move by signing with the Bears on their practice roster. The former seventh-rounder landed a futures contract following that season, but he never wound up making any regular-season appearances with Chicago. Toure joined the Saints this past fall by signing to New Orleans’ taxi squad. He played in one game during the 2025 campaign.
This summer, Toure will aim to carve out a depth role on the Eagles’ WR depth chart. He will be joined by a familiar face in the form of Dontayvion Wicks, who was acquired via trade and given a one-year extension upon arrival by Philadelphia. Wicks also began his career with the Packers. This spring has been busy with respect to receiver acquisitions on the part of the Eagles. Marquise Brown was added in free agency before the team traded up in the first round of April’s draft to select Makai Lemon.
Those new arrivals will be joined by Toure and returnee DeVonta Smith during training camp. Brown remains on the roster for the time being, although Monday afternoon marks the beginning of the period where moving on from his contract will be viable from a cap perspective. Compensation with the Patriots is still a talking point, but a Brown-to-New England move remains the widespread expectation around the league.
Toure, 28, has totaled 23 appearances to date in his career. He has never operated as a regular on offense in the NFL, but he could serve in a backup role upon reuniting with Mannion and joining a significantly revamped Eagles WR room.
Eagles, Patriots Still Negotiating A.J. Brown Trade; Philadelphia Open To Accepting 2028 First-Round Pick
JUNE 1: Anderson reports discussions today will center around the possibility of 2027 draft picks being included in the long-awaited Brown trade. For now, though, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes this deal is still expected to consist of Brown being sent to New England for a 2028 first-rounder. The last-minute emergence of another suitor is not expected to take place.
MAY 28: The countdown to June 1 continues as it pertains to an A.J. Brown trade. The swap ending his Eagles tenure is still expected to take place and send him to New England, but there is work to be done between those two teams.
An official Brown-to-New England move is not guaranteed to be in place when it is first feasible to be finalized, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network cautions (video link). Brown’s contract will be far easier to absorb after June 1, something driving the lengthy waiting period before clarity emerges in his case. Rapoport confirms the Patriots remain the expected destination for Brown, 29 next month, so a reunion with head coach Mike Vrabel continues to loom.
Philadelphia and New England have not yet agreed to the price of a Brown trade, per Rapoport and The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson. Anderson adds a swap of picks may wind up taking place once the trade is official. A Day 1 selection continues to be sought out by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Especially if the Patriots wind up agreeing to meet it, it will be interesting to see if draft capital attached to Brown and his contract gets sought out by New England.
The Eagles discussed a Brown trade prior to last month’s draft, but their attention ultimately turned to next year’s edition. The 2027 class is held in very high regard (especially compared to this year’s), and that factor is no doubt driving part of New England’s hesitation to part with a first-rounder next year. Roseman has shown a willingness to take draft picks two years into the future as part of a trade, however. That could come into play in this case.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes the Eagles discussed a 2028 first-round pick when speaking about a Brown trade earlier this offseason. That conversation took place with a team other than the Patriots, he adds. The non-New England market on this front has been largely quiet, although the Rams have been mentioned as a suitor. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is now seen as being out of the running for Brown.
Across his four years with the Eagles, Brown racked up 5,034 yards and 32 receiving touchdowns. The three-time Pro Bowler helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LIX, but his level of satisfaction within the team’s offense in general and his on-field relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts in particular increasingly became a talking point over time. Indications from the team and Hurts have pointed to a separation being expected relatively soon. It still remains to be seen if trade terms can be worked out with the Patriots over the coming days, however.
Changes Coming To Eagles’ QB Room?
As a rookie second-round pick out of Oklahoma, the school to which he transferred after losing his starting job at Alabama to Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts was tasked with starting the final four games of the Eagles 2020 regular season after former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz was benched as the starter. Hurts debut as a starting passer in the NFL provided a mixed bag in those final four contests of the year, but Hurts has not relinquished the starting job from that point on.
This offseason, though things haven’t progressed far enough to threaten Hurts’ role as a starter in 2026, questions and concerns have been raised that could result in a number of changes to Philadelphia’s handling of the quarterback position. A joint report from ESPN’s Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler in early April revealed that some blame for the team’s offensive struggles, though spread to several factors, is being placed on Hurts’ shoulders.
Specifically, sources with the team seem to indicate that Hurts’ unwillingness to diversify the offensive scheme has hamstrung the offense from progressing into something more. Pushing back on ideas as simple as going under center more, Hurts has been reluctant to rely on his arm in some zone-coverage situations and will “(divert) from the game plan and (change) playcalls to what some feel is an excessive degree.” It’s limited the team’s offense from progressing into a more complete passing attack and forced the unit to rely on the legs of star running back Saquon Barkley.
In the face of some recent struggles and losses, Hurts has been able to maintain a cool head, a useful attribute when one is in the heat of battle but one that can come off another way when the season is over. Sources in the building claim that some teammates read Hurts’ demeanor as “poor body language” or a sign that he’s “not always bought in” and “not the most coachable.” It’s something players are reportedly noticing, and now that it’s been made public, it’s become something he will need to actively work on.
Some of the blame that gets shifted off of Hurts goes to the lack of consistent coaching around him throughout his tenure in Philadelphia. Since taking over the starting job, Hurts has had five offensive coordinators in six seasons. The only season in which Hurts saw any consistency was when Shane Steichen got to be his play-caller for a second year in 2022. That season saw Hurts win 14 of his 15 starts and finish second in MVP voting, losing the award to the quarterback of the team that would defeat them in the Super Bowl that year.
Steichen left the team for a head coaching opportunity, and his successor, Brian Johnson, was fired when the team lost five of their last six games following a 10-1 start then made a first-round playoff exit. Kellen Moore found more success in Philadelphia the next year, leading the team to its second Super Bowl victory, but it required him to implement some new offensive concepts. Per McManus and Fowler, sources with the team “described the relationship between Moore and Hurts…as ‘tense’ at times,” but the two were able to find compromise as Hurts agreed to run some plays with more pre-snap motions and shifts.
Moore’s successor, Kevin Patullo, was fired after his only year as the team’s coordinator saw the offense take a major step backwards last year. While Patullo was “well-liked and respected in the building,” players reportedly “lost faith” in the play-caller. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has been tasked with un-sticking his unit. According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, Hurts will be expected to make quite a few more compromises in Mannion’s attempts to ‘blend’ the offense, and that will likely mean more work under center for the six-year veteran.
Another change in the QB room could concern the number of players in the room. Per Geoff Mosher of the PhillyVoice, “the Eagles are keeping four quarterbacks no matter what” in 2026. Already returning backup Tanner McKee alongside Hurts, the team traded for veteran backup Andy Dalton and drafted North Dakota State’s Cole Payton in the fifth-round. Initially, it was thought that Dalton was being brought in as overqualified QB3, but Berman noted that Dalton has been taking some QB2 reps over McKee in Organized Team Activities.
2026 will be a big season for Hurts as it appears more scrutinous eyes will be on him moving forward. Per McManus and Fowler, “there are no signs” that Hurts and the Eagles have begun working towards a new contract extension. Though there’s still plenty of time before that becomes a priority, there’s not much guaranteed money left on Hurts’ contract past this year. The combination of an uncertain financial future and increased bodies in the position room behind him may just be enough to push Hurts to make the necessary changes to jump start the Eagles offense moving forward.
Framework ‘In Place’ For A.J. Brown Trade?
MAY 31: While the term “framework” is a bit nebulous, and while Breer did concede the Eagles and Patriots still have to hammer out all of the trade details, a fundamental issue in these protracted talks appears to remain unresolved. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (video link), the Patriots are still not “overly crazy” about giving up a first-round pick (presumably, this refers to a 2028 pick as well as a ‘27 choice).
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald spoke with various sources about fair compensation in a Brown swap and received differing opinions. One source called Brown a “declining asset” and argued a Day 1 choice was too rich, while another pointed out that the Broncos had to give up a first-rounder to acquire Jaylen Waddle, who is less than two years younger than Brown and who does not have the same history of production.
Fowler suggests attaching a condition to a draft pick or even an arrangement in which Philadelphia sends a pick back to New England could help push the negotiations over the finish line.
MAY 30: There has been no shortage of coverage for the situation concerning Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and a potential offseason trade. At this point, it’s become widely accepted that the team will ship Brown off to New England, but they will wait until after June 1 to do so. Well, in the latest development from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com), there’s belief that “the framework is in place” for the trade to occur this week.
To run through a brief timeline, following several incidents that seemed to paint a picture of an unhappy Brown in Philadelphia, reports emerged near the end of the 2025 NFL season that the Eagles would consider trading the three-time second-team All-Pro they had acquired four years ago after sending a first-round pick to Tennessee. By the time the season had ended and a new champion had been crowned, even Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni hinted at the future in telling the media that he couldn’t guarantee Brown would return for 2026.
One of the two teams that made it to Super Bowl LX — the one that fell just short of the season’s ultimate goal — expressed early interest in Brown, linking the former Titans wideout to his former head coach in New England. The Patriots were not alone in their pursuit, though, as the Bills, Ravens, and Rams emerged as teams to watch for the veteran pass catcher. The Bills seemed to remove themselves from the conversation, though, after successfully acquiring former Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore and a fifth-round pick in exchange for a second-rounder.
The Rams reached out to Philadelphia, and trade talks progressed to the point that Los Angeles began exploring the idea of trading away veteran wide receiver Davante Adams. It was rumored that talks with the Rams had progressed even further than the Eagles’ discussions with New England, but ultimately, Los Angeles was ruled out as a potential trade destination for Brown.
With the Rams out, a few other teams were rumored with little substance, but interest out of New England remained a constant, even after the team made a strong move to improve its receiving corps by signing former Packers receiver Romeo Doubs. Veteran wideout Stefon Diggs also expressed interest in re-signing to stay with the Patriots as a free agent, but adding another big contract to that position room was something the Patriots were only willing to do if they missed out on Brown.
At first, the Eagles had intentions of completing some solution for the situation with Brown before the start of free agency, but as time went on, it became clear that the team intended to wait until after June 1 to make a trade happen in order to avoid incurring massive dead cap figures. Any trade before that date would shoulder the team with $43.45MM in dead money, and Brown would still account for $20.06MM of their cap space for the season. A post-June 1 trade would still leave Philadelphia with $16.35MM in dead money, but it would also clear $7.04MM in cap space.
With this realization, it was considered to be “inevitable” that Brown would be traded once June arrived. As if to emphasize that point, Philadelphia approached the 2026 NFL Draft with the mindset that it would not have Brown for 2026 and walked away from the first round having drafted USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, a clear replacement for the departing veteran. With the Eagles set, the only question that remained concerned Brown’s future home and compensation.
Expectations continued to point to the Patriots as the likeliest other participant in the inevitable exchange, but New England seemed to balk at the idea of utilizing a first-round selection to acquire Brown. The Eagles’ initial ask was for a first- and second-round package (specifically, with a first-rounder in 2027), though Brown’s value was perceived to be more like a packaged headlined by a second-round pick. Two days ago, it was reported that the Eagles and Patriots were still negotiating but that Philadelphia had opened its mind to accepting a 2028 first-round pick.
In our latest update from Breer, he clarifies that the exact terms and conditions of the deal may still need to be hammered out, but with the framework in place, he asserts that it “would take somebody backing out” for the trade not to occur. At this point, it would be a surprise if a team backed out, so all signs are pointing to Brown becoming a Patriot early in the coming week.