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An insider for The Athletic shared some insight into players who the New England Patriots could trade to the Philadelphia Eagles for A.J. Brown.

The negotiations between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver A.J. Brown have seemingly taken a backseat to the NFL Draft. Still, there have been rumors trickling on the Brown front.

The most recent reports have been positive for the Patriots. That’s that there should be a deal between the two sides after June 1st for Brown to go to New England. That June 1st deadline has to do with the salary cap and limiting the hit that the Eagles take. But it also leaves a major question. What’s Brown going to cost the Patriots?

The Athletic Suggested Three Players the New England Patriots Could Trade for A.J. Brown

While the conversation around A.J. Brown has been focused on draft picks, and particularly draft picks in 2027 and beyond, there is room to also trade players in the deal. Chad Graff of The Athletic recently looked into that and shared three players who he’s hearing could be on the move.

“In a potential Brown trade to the Patriots, the Eagles would almost certainly want a wide receiver in return. Based on ability and contract situations, that leaves three options: Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and (Kayshon) Boutte,” Graff wrote.

“So here’s a potential trade package that has been floated by league sources for June: Brown for Boutte and a future second-round pick, potentially with conditions that could turn the pick into a first-rounder if Brown hits certain performance metrics.”

Boutte, in particular, has been the topic of rumors in the past week. Amid those trade rumors, he has not been with the team for the voluntary offseason program. So, it would seem like he’s aware of the chances that he gets traded.

Adam Schefter Shared What He Thinks Brown Will Cost New England

Schefter opened the week reporting that the deal between New England and Philadelphia for Brown was likely coming in July. After that report, he would go on a series of shows for ESPN to talk about that report, and when he made an appearance on The Pat MacAfee Show, he shared what he thinks Brown would cost in a trade.

“My guess is (the trade) will involve a future (first-round pick) at some point in time,” Schefter said. “I don’t know that it’ll be 2027 or 2028. The two sides still have to figure that out and see where they wind up. But I think the Eagles had been looking for a first-round pick, at least, for A.J. Brown. … So, my guess is that trade will include a first-round pick in the end when the two sides wind up agreeing to whatever deal they come up with.”

Certainly, that’s a steep price, but it’s also a price that Schefter is estimating. Other insiders don’t think Brown will cost quite as much. In particular, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston shared that he expects second-round compensation for Brown.

A first-round package would be a massive amount to give up for Brown, who is now closing in on 30 years old. Adding a player to the deal would also change the math for both sides. Of course, all of that remains to be seen once negotiations pick back up between the two sides.