There has recently been a series of rumors that the New England Patriots aren’t the only team in on Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. In fact, several teams have been rumored to have some interest in the star pass catcher.
Most of those rumors have stemmed from Philadelphia-based media. It was after appearing on a Philadelphia radio show that ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter decided to address those rumors on his own show, largely dismissing the idea that anyone but the Patriots is involved.
“It feels like the closer we get to June 1, the more the A.J. Brown chatter is starting to pick up,” he said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “Now, we’re starting to hear about other teams entering the mix. I was on a Philadelphia radio show this morning. They brought up the idea that the Rams could be getting back in. They brought up the idea that the Jaguars could be getting back in. That’s interesting.”
It’s been Schefter who has been heavily involved in the reporting on Brown to the Patriots. For now, he’s not backing off that.
“I will remain in the camp that we’ve been in for the last 6-7 weeks. Which is that I still think [AJ Brown] is getting traded. I still think he’s getting traded on or shortly after June 1. I still think the New England Patriots are going away the lead contender to land AJ Brown this offseason. I don’t care what other teams come up in connection with A.J. Brown trade talks between now and June 1,” Schefter said.
“Don’t care about what conversations there are. These other teams have had their opportunities throughout the offseason. There were conversations with the Rams that did not result in a deal. I don’t know about Jacksonville. I don’t even know where that’s coming from, but I still think that the New England Patriots make the most sense. I still think when all is said and done that the Patriots will wind up agreeing to a deal that will land AJ Brown in New England.”
Teams Besides the New England Patriots Make Some Sense for A.J. Brown
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
There’s some good incentive for the Philadelphia Eagles to want more teams involved in the A.J. Brown sweepstakes, it could drive the price up on the New England Patriots. Or, if the price gets too steep, the Eagles could get what they want for Brown somewhere else.
So, it’s not a surprise that Philadelphia media has been open to exploring other teams that make some sense for Brown. These are usually contenders or wannabe contenders who need a pass catcher. Jeff Kerr of Sports Illustrated, who is considered an Eagles insider, put together a list that included the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Baltimore Ravens.
There’s a major problem with all of those teams. They don’t have the salary cap space to add A.J. Brown, who looks to be coming with about a $23 million cap hit.
One team that does have the space to add Brown is the Patriots. As it stands now, New England has about $36 million in available cap space. When it comes to deciding to trade for Brown, very few teams outside of the Patriots have that same kind of need at wide receiver and flexibility.
One Insider Warned the A.J. Brown Timeline Could be Extended
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
The general consensus has been that A.J. Brown is going to be traded after June 1. That’s because of salary cap implications for the Eagles. However, that doesn’t mean that he has to be traded right at the start of June.
One NFL insider, Mike Garafolo, explained on the Rich Eisen Show that negotiations could even go into July. After all, the Eagles and the Patriots need to “reboot” them.
“It’s going to have to be rebooted, and it’s going to have to get done,” Garafolo said. “It doesn’t have to happen on June 1st or 2nd. It can happen in the middle of July, right before training camp.”
It has seemed like the Brown rumors are never-ending this offseason. Certainly, by the time June comes around, most folks will want to see a trade made and not have the negotiations go into July.
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