The Philadelphia Eagles have jumped through a lot of hoops to try and replace NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown — it might be just 1 simple move that ends up getting the job done.
Fox Sports NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano put Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks at the top of his list of “Breakout Stars” in 2026 after Philadelphia traded a 5th- and 6th-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for him, then moved quickly to sign Wicks to a 1-year, $12.5 million contract.
“When Howie Roseman traded fifth- and sixth-round picks for Wicks this offseason, it looked like a depth move for a team that was about to trade A.J. Brown,” Vacchiano wrote. “But it could end up being a lot more than that. Yes, DeVonta Smith is the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver, and first-rounder Makai Lemon is the favorite to be No. 2. But Wicks could put up a fight for that spot in the short term. He was underused in Green Bay, despite catching 60% of the balls thrown his way and averaging 12.3 yards per catch. He’s also only 25, so his best might still be in front of him. Lemon has more upside, but Wicks has the experience and played in the system new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is bringing with him from Green Bay. Wicks will have a chance to help fill Brown’s shoes, especially early in the season.”
Eagles Receive Top Marks for Offseason Moves
ESPN’s Seth Walder gave the Eagles the lone “A” in his offseason grades for all 32 teams.
The Eagles’ shining grade was even more pronounced because they traded away Brown — 1 of the NFL’s best wide receivers — to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 1st-round pick.
“As is often the case, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was busy in the trade market this offseason. That meant the long-awaited and finally consummated Brown deal to the Patriots, netting Philadelphia a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick,” Walder wrote on June 30. “Losing Brown is a short-term knock, but it became clear his time as an Eagle was up and Philadelphia was able to flip him for a first-round selection — which comes with years of expected value — before Brown’s decline really set in. The Eagles prepared for the loss of Brown by trading fifth- and sixth-round picks for Dontayvion Wicks and selecting Makai Lemon in the first round of the draft. I particularly like the Wicks acquisition. The former Packer has a 69 open score over the past three seasons — well above average — and perhaps has not fully realized his upside.”
Best Move for Eagles Was to Trade A.J. Brown
By far, ridding themselves of the Brown locker-room cancer was the best thing the Eagles did this offseason.
For all his talent, Brown’s unprofessional behavior in continually calling out his teammates in public — particularly quarterback Jalen Hurts — had worn thin long ago.
The last memory Eagles fans will have of Brown will now be Eagles security chief Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro having to separate head coach Nick Sirianni and Brown during a screaming match on the sideline during a home loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round.
It all happened after Brown dropped 2 long passes from Hurts and right before the defending Super Bowl champions went into halftime with a 13-10 lead on the way to a 23-19 loss.
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