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It appears the Eagles still have an interested suitor in A.J. Brown in the Patriots

The Philadelphia Eagles cannot seem to escape drama. While they have largely made a handful of more under-the-radar moves so far this offseason, there remains persistent chatter that the team is considering trading star wide receiver A.J. Brown. And at this stage of the game, it seems like if Brown does get traded, he will land with the New England Patriots.

To this point, the two sides haven’t been able to strike a deal, and for salary cap purposes, it seems unlikely that Brown will be moved before June 1. Still, the rumors are continuing to swirl around all parties involved, and that led Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf to address the rumors head-on when speaking to reporters on Monday.

Eliot Wolf Addresses A.J. Brown Trade Rumors

Pretty much everything the Eagles have done this offseason has pointed to a trade for Brown. While general manager Howie Roseman has publicly said he isn’t just going to give him away, Philly has had discussions revolving around Brown with several different teams. At this point, though, the Patriots appear to be the last man standing.

While New England signed Romeo Doubs in free agency, it could still use a de facto No. 1 wideout, which is precisely what Brown is. Beyond that, the Eagles have brought in Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, and Elijah Moore to shore up their wide receiver depth chart, giving them even more freedom to unload Brown if they want to.

With DeVonta Smith in town, that was a luxury Roseman already possessed, but the addition of those three guys, particularly Wicks, has really pointed the arrow towards Brown getting traded. The good news for Philadelphia, should that be its desired outcome, is that New England appears to still be interested in his services, as Wolf offered a fairly pointed response when asked about Brown by reporters on Monday.

“Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf say the team will ‘will keep the door open’ for a player who could help the team,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X.

Why the Eagles Aren’t in a Rush to Trade A.J. Brown

GettyNew England Patriots EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf shared the latest on the rumors regarding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.

As noted above, all the rumors surrounding Brown right now are a bit unnecessary, because unless something drastic happens, he isn’t going to get traded until at least June 1. If Philly holds onto Brown until that date, it will save $20 million in salary cap space, which it could desperately use right now. The Patriots don’t necessarily need to have Brown on their roster in April or May, so that isn’t exactly a massive issue.

Once the calendar flips to June, though, the Brown trade rumors will really be ratcheted up to another level, and that’s when we could see a deal actually get made between these two teams. It’s tough to read too much into these comments from Wolf, but should Philadelphia eventually decide to get rid of Brown, it looks like New England will already be waiting at the negotiating table.