The Cleveland Browns remain in the market for a true No. 1 wide receiver, and disgruntled Philadelphia Eagles pass-catcher A.J. Brown has emerged as a potential trade target this offseason.
Brown is coming off his sixth 1,000-yard season, catching 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns for the Eagles. Despite his continued production, league executives believe Brown’s relationship with the organization has deteriorated, making a trade increasingly plausible.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that NFL executives view Cleveland as a possible landing spot if the Eagles decide to move the star receiver.
“Brown’s happy-to-be-here quotient in Philly is miserably low,” Fowler said. “He’s a great player, and great players are hard to replace. But the Eagles have never been scared to make a move due to the salary-cap implications.”
AJ Brown Likely to have Multiple Trade Suitors
According to Fowler, Philadelphia could save roughly $7 million in cap space by trading Brown after June 1, and some executives believe the organization has been preparing for that possibility for months.
In addition to Cleveland, the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, and Las Vegas Raiders were also identified as potential fits. However, Fowler reported that the top destination mentioned by execs was the Buffalo Bills.
“The Bills have to upgrade there — their best receiver is Khalil Shakir, who is a nice player, but he’s not a top guy,” an NFL personnel evaluator told Fowler. “Brown is an immediate upgrade, and he’s still young [turning 29 in June]. The Eagles could then build their passing game around DeVonta Smith and a high draft pick.”
Another wide receiver linked to the Browns is 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Ben Solak of ESPN issued a bold prediction that Cleveland will bring in Aiyuk this offseason.
“The Browns will bring in 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, as they continue their tradition of signing receivers on low-cost contracts in the hopes of hitting it big,” Solak said. “Aiyuk’s days in San Francisco are likely over; the Browns can offer him more money and opportunity compared to any other team in the NFL.”
Browns Plan to Address Offense After Rough Year
For the Browns, acquiring Brown or Aiyuk would instantly address their need for a true alpha receiver — something the offense has lacked in recent seasons. The Browns rolled with Jerry Jeudy as their No. 1 last season after a Pro Bowl campaign. However, he was plagued by drops, and instability at quarterback did not help. Jeudy caught just 50 passes for 602 yards and two touchdowns.
As a whole, the Browns’ offense ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every major category. Cleveland averaged 262.1 yards and 16.4 points per game.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said improvement on offense will be a focus this offseason. Despite some young talent like running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr., the Browns have some significant holes to fill.
“It’s no secret that’s where we’re going to invest most of our resources this offseason. I think the reality of it is a year ago, when we decided to make the pivot that we did, you also realize that you’re not going to be able to accomplish everything at once for the roster,” Berry said. “The offensive line, that’s a position group that I do imagine will have a fair amount of turnover as we go into 2026. But we also do feel like it was important this year and quite honestly going into next year to give young players snaps if we’re ultimately going to build the core and foundation that we need to win perennially.”
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