The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a June 1 trade sending three-time All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown to the AFC in a long-rumored deal.
When the New England Patriots splurged in free agency for former Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, it felt like they had settled in thinking having the league’s largest collection of WR2/3s somehow made up for not having a true star No. 1 wideout.
But then came the reports (however they were sourced/obtained) that the Patriots were still very much in the mix for disgruntled Eagles star A.J. Brown, with nothing expected to materialize until after June 1 (due to salary cap/contract language).
Since then, it has seemed inevitable that the Patriots would complete a deal for Brown, as it’s the only way their offseason strategy made any sense.
And sure enough Monday — June 1 — the inevitable became official.
The Patriots are trading a 2028 first-round pick and the better of their 2027 fifth-round picks to the Eagles for Brown, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
While many are lauding Eagles general manager Howie Roseman for extracting a first-round pick out of an uncomfortable situation where Brown’s relationship with the team and quarterback Jalen Hurts clearly became strained last season, this is actually a steal for the Patriots.
New England should remain good enough — especially now with Brown upgrading the cast of playmakers for MVP-runner-up Drake Maye — that the pick it’s giving up in 2028 comes near the end of the first round.
Even if that pick had been in this past draft, the Patriots wouldn’t have been able to satisfy their need for a surefire WR1 — let alone in a draft two years away while Maye is entering his prime.
It’s more anecdotal than anything, but it’s also worth mentioning how exceptionally poorly this franchise has fared at trying to draft wide receivers in the early rounds.
Looking Back At Patriots WRs Of The Past Following A.J. Brown Trade
Humor us for a second as this is every WR New England has selected in the top three rounds since the last one it hit on, Deion Branch as a second-rounder in 2002 (just an extraordinary list of busts!):
– 2025, third round (69th overall), Kyle Williams: 10 catches for 209 yards and 3 TDs as a rookie, now totally buried down the depth chart.
– 2024, second round (37th), Ja’Lynn Polk: 12-87-2 as a rookie in 2024, missed 2025 due to injury and traded to the Saints for a late-round pick swap.
– 2022, second round (50th), Tyquan Thornton: Played in just 28 games in three years for Patriots before being released, peaking with a 22-247-2 line as a rookie; found new life last year in a career-best season with the Chiefs.
– 2019, first round (19th), N’Keal Harry: Totaled 598 yards and 4 TDs combined over three seasons before being traded to the Bears for a seventh-round pick.
– 2013, second round (59th), Aaron Dobson: Totaled a 53-698-4 line combined over three seasons before being released.
– 2010, third round (90th), Taylor Price: Totaled 3 catches for 41 yards before being released.
– 2009, third round (83rd), Brandon Tate: Released after two seasons and a combined 24-432-3 line.
– 2006, second round (36th), Chad Jackson: Released after two seasons and a total 13-152-3 line.
– 2003, second round (45th), Bethel Johnson: Posted a 30-450-4 line combined over three seasons before being traded to the Saints (though he made an impact as a kick returner).
The Patriots literally have not made a single successful Day 1-2 WR draft pick in 24 years!
(Though, present key contributors Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas were solid sixth-round picks in 2023.)
So, yes, by all means, trade a future late-first-round pick for A.J. Brown — a three-time Pro Bowl and three-time second-team All-Pro selection who has a 17-game average line of 85-1,300-9 across seven NFL seasons.
Brown still managed 78 catches for 1,003 yards and 7 TDs in 15 games last season while in a Cold War standoff with the team over his usage (and other frustrations).
It wasn’t all that long ago he posted back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons in 2022-23, he’s going to be still only 29 years old this season and he had success playing for head coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee at the start of his career.
Why New England Worked To Make Trade Happen
There’s simply no way the Eagles — at all times expecting to compete for the Super Bowl — are better without Brown and with an extra fifth-round pick next year and an extra late first-rounder in two years.
The Patriots, meanwhile, have upgraded an already good offense — second in points and third in yards in the NFL last year — exponentially.
Maye finished a narrow second to the Rams’ Matthew Stafford in MVP voting in his second NFL season while completing 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 TDs and 8 INTs last season with a receiving corps of past-his-prime Stefon Diggs, Boutte, journeyman Mack Hollins and Douglas.
Diggs managed a 1,000-yard season, but he was mostly a non-factor in the postseason and was subsequently released.
Now, Maye has a legit top-10 NFL WR in Brown, a capable No. 2 in Doubs (55-724-6 for the Packers last season) and plenty of complementary options with Boutte (33-551-6), Hollins (46-550-2) and Douglas (31-447-3) forming one of the deepest units in the league.
Add in the expectation that running back TreVeyon Henderson takes a leap forward in Year 2 after flashing tons of top-end potential as a rookie (1,132 rushing/receiving yards and 10 TDs) and a couple upgrades on the interior of the offensive line and the Pats now have every chance to challenge for another deep playoff run in 2026.
Pats Made The Smart Play
The deal looks even better for New England when considering the cost relative to the market and what the Denver Broncos paid to trade for a lesser wide receiver, sending 2026 first-, third- and fourth-round picks to the Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle, who is better suited as a WR2.
The Pats paid a fraction of that price (given the immediacy of the picks the Broncos dealt) for a substantially better talent at the same position during the same offseason.
Yes, from any and all angles, the Patriots absolutely got a steal of a deal here.
The Eagles will be just fine, though. They planned for this move, drafting USC WR Makai Lemon in the first round, signing veteran Hollywood Brown and trading with the Packers for Dontayvion Wicks, while still possessing a No. 1-caliber WR in DeVonta Smith.
Roseman is indeed one of the best GMs in the game.
But the W in this trade goes to the Patriots.
