Getty

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the possibility of adding a top wide receiver amid rumors about A.J. Brown being traded.

It’s now less than a week before June begins, which is the same date that it’s widely believed the Philadelphia Eagles may be trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. That was the backdrop as OTAs began in New England and head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media.

Unsurprisingly, whether or not the Patriots would be adding a talented wide receiver quickly came up. However, Vrabel was tentative to directly address the rumors around Brown.

“We want to continue to improve the roster every opportunity that we get,” Vrabel said. “And when those opportunities arise, I don’t know.”

This, perhaps, isn’t a surprising answer, given that Brown is not formally on the Patriots. It would be considered tampering if he were to do so publicly. So, he instead directed the conversation toward who the Patriots do have at receiver.

“I know the guys that we have here are working extremely hard. I would say yesterday’s first OTA was much better than last year’s. I have to take the coaches’ opinion, because I didn’t go back and watch last year’s first day. But I felt like yesterday was really positive. It was good to see Romeo [Doubs] out there — it was good to see some of the new faces, some of the young guys,” Vrabel added.

“So, again, we’re going to look to strengthen the roster wherever we can. But it was also a great day to see guys who maybe didn’t get as many opportunities last year, especially Romeo, who wasn’t on our team.”

Why New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles Haven’t Agreed on A.J. Brown Trade Yet

By now, it’s no secret that A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles are heading for a divorce. It’s also no secret that the New England Patriots are the front-runners to land him, following that June 1st deadline.

However, no deal is formally in place between the two teams. NFL insider Albert Breer recently explained that it comes down to the Eagles leaving room for something to change.

“As for where he’s going, it always made sense for the Eagles to wait to ‘agree to terms’ until the last minute because things can change elsewhere (and already have with the Rice situation in Kansas City). But the Chiefs, Chargers, Bills and Rams all had their shot at this already, and I think the final result will be what everyone’s treating as a fait accompli, and that’s Brown reuniting with Mike Vrabel in New England,” Breer wrote.

The logic of waiting for June goes back to the salary cap. Breer also broke that down from the Eagles’ perspective.

“So, per the NFL’s internal system, if Brown were traded today, his cap number would jump to $43.515 million for 2026,” Breer wrote. “If he’s dealt next week, then the Eagles can take $16.353 million of it now (which is the past bonus proration set to hit the cap this year), and $27.162 million next year. With his Philly cap number sitting at $23.393 million, that means it’s either add $20 million to this year’s cap or save $7 million and push the rest off.”

Trade Rumors Indicate A.J. Brown Trade to Patriots is Imminent

While there has been some debate about when the A.J. Brown trade could actually occur, recent rumors seem to indicate that it could be completed as early as June 2nd. Mike Florio explained.

“June 1 is eight days away,” Florio wrote. “An A.J. Brown trade is as little as nine days away. As of June 2, the Eagles can trade Brown and spread the dead-money charge over two years. Most believe it’s just a matter of time before the trade happens. Most believe Brown will be traded to the Patriots.”

Florio added, in contradiction to Breer, that it’s possible a deal is done already. However, they haven’t publicly announced it to avoid anything falling through.

“It’s entirely possible that the deal is unofficially done. Trade terms agreed to, and both teams keeping their mouths shut until Brown passes a physical and both teams communicate the terms of the transaction to the league office. The Maxx Crosby fiasco from March was a lesson to all teams about not letting the cart get in front of the horse. Say nothing until the deal is official,” Florio wrote.

There has been some pushback that the Patriots are the only team in on Brown. However, very few teams outside of New England have both the willingness to add him and the salary cap space to do so, too.