“The Patriots made it all the way to the Super Bowl last year, but one of the team’s more glaring weaknesses entering the season is the lack of a true go-to wideout,” Davenport wrote. “A healthy Brown would fill that void, and while a straight-up swap for a first-rounder may be a bit rich for New England’s blood, getting a Day 2 pick back should be enough to get the deal done.”

Patriots Taking Big Gamble in A.J. Brown Trade

Brown is a shining example of a “High Risk, High Reward” trade.

On 1 hand, the Patriots believe Brown could be the missing piece that gets them back to the Super Bowl and gets them the win they were denied in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks following the 2025 season.

On the other hand, Brown has proven to be a locker-room cancer in his time with Philadelphia, where he played 4 rollercoaster seasons. In those 4 seasons, the Eagles played in the Super Bowl twice and won once. In the last 3 seasons, by all accounts, Brown was the source of locker-room discord that has led to him being about to be traded, in his prime, for the 2nd time in his career.

A.J. Brown-Drake Maye Pairing Could Be Historic

There’s one school of thought that the Patriots shouldn’t haggle too much because Brown, a 3-time NFL All-Pro, is worth the price of admission.

He could also be the player that 3rd year quarterback and NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye needs to take his career to the next level. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen thinks a Maye-Brown team-up could very well make NFL history if and when it happens.

“(Brown) is going to lead the league in touchdowns this year,” Eisen said on Monday. “I don’t think that’s an overreaction at all. If this happens, this does remind me of something … (Brown) is the Randy Moss of the equation. He’s a beast of a physical receiver. He can go outside the numbers and win 50-50 balls and give the quarterback a big, fat, deep target who can also go over the middle and be a massive matchup problem … 23 touchdowns set the (NFL) record (in 2007) … I don’t want to disrespect Randy Moss, who is a 1st ballot Hall of Famer for a reason. But if you’re telling me A.J. Brown could catch 15 touchdowns next year, that wouldn’t shock me at all. I just think he’s a perfect fit.”

In 2007, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss set the NFL single-season record with 23 touchdown receptions, while quarterback Tom Brady set the NFL single-season record with 50 touchdown passes.

The Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, with their only loss coming to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII — considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of professional sports.