Analyst Believes AJ Brown Trade Unlikely Due to Eagles’ Absurd Asking Price

The Philadelphia Eagles have stated numerous times they do not want to trade away star receiver AJ Brown.

Analyst Believes AJ Brown Trade Unlikely Due to Eagles’ Absurd Asking Price

Eagles wideout AJ Brown (Image via Imago)

In Short
  • Eagles' asking price for AJ Brown is considered too high, limiting trade options.
  • Analyst Sal Paolantonio suggests the Eagles have lost leverage in trade discussions.
  • Post-June 1 could be pivotal for a potential trade to the New England Patriots.

The general notion surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles is that they will probably trade star wide receiver AJ Brown at some point before the start of the season.

The $96 million extension he signed with them before helping the franchise win Super Bowl LIX seemed justified at that point in time.

But now, it is hanging like a noose around their necks, as the massive $32 million average will probably put off most contending teams who already have high-priced receivers on their roster.

Brown will not go to a rebuilding team. He wants to compete right away, and that is where, according to longtime analyst Sal Paolantonio, the problem lies.

The problem is, they have run out of leverage in Philadelphia, because they asked for too much. Nobody wants to pay multiple picks… for a 29-year-old wide receiver.

Sal Paolantonio told Yahoo Sports Daily

As per the former ESPN analyst’s belief, it seems the Eagles have likely priced themselves out of a chance to move AJ Brown to another team. Maybe that is why a few weeks ago negotiations with the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots stalled.

But Paolantonio did agree with the notion that the Ole Miss alum will not likely stay in Philadelphia. He used the ‘putting the toothpaste back in the tube’ analogy to point out how the situation has gone far enough that it will be difficult to come back to being normal.

That means both sides might have to move on, but the massive cap hit, Brown’s advancing age, and the Eagles’ demands are becoming potential roadblocks.

NFL insider believes June 1st will provide answers to AJ Brown sweepstakes

While Sal Paolantonio pointed out the difficulties in trading AJ Brown, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport had a slightly different opinion.

Post-June 1 is a very big date in the AJ Brown sweepstakes… Most people believe that there’s an eventual trade to the Patriots…That’s probably the most likely scenario.

Ian Rapoport said on The Herd

He reiterated what his peer, Adam Schefter, had said before, that after June 1st, the wideout could be on the move. That is when the Eagles can save more than $20 million in dead cap hit.

At the same time, he did convey that the Patriots are the team currently in the lead to acquire a player who has expressed his admiration for the organization.

But then, Ian Rapoport followed the road Paolantonio took. It all depends on the price that the New England-based franchise and the Philadelphia Eagles can agree upon for the three-time Pro Bowler.

AJ Brown will be Patriots’ leading wide receiver if he joins them

Most of the signs are pointing towards AJ Brown joining the New England Patriots once the dust from the potential trade with the Philadelphia Eagles settles.

AJ Brown and Stefon Diggs
AJ Brown and Stefon Diggs (Image via Underdog NFL/Savage/X)

Going to Super Bowl LX may have been a memory, but the organization knows that going back is difficult. They need players who can lead them there and take the next step to lift a Vince Lombardi Trophy. That is why one of Brown’s former teammates wants him there.

They had a good leader in Stefon Diggs. But apparently, his off-field situation, combined with his age, prompted them to cut him loose.

Armed with that cap space, they can place all their chips on Brown, who is more than three years younger than the man he could eventually replace as the Patriots’ No. 1 pass catcher.

In contrast to Diggs’ combative style, the Mississippi native’s calm and mature demeanor might be what the team needs to keep its focus in big games.

The manner in which the Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks had a lot to do with inexperience as much as it had to do with the gap in skill. The latter can be solved through roster additions, but experience is not something they can easily add.

Also Read: