A.J. Brown grew up an avid fan of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, and he had a little fun with his social media followers on Friday, flashing a newly signed Julian Edelman jersey to add to his memorabilia collection.
Brown urged fans not to take him seriously in the post, but the superstar Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver has never been shy about his childhood love of the Pats, and specifically their head coach, Mike Vrabel, who drafted Brown back in 2019 as HC of the Tennessee Titans. That connection has led to plenty of trade speculation despite Brown’s recent three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles.
Boston sports radio host Nick “Fitzy” Stevens of WEEI-FM recently poured some gasoline on the Brown-to-Patriots speculation when he predicted a blockbuster Pats-Eagles trade centered around the No. 4 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft:
“If Abdul Carter falls to 4th overall,” Stevens wrote, “expect the (Eagles) to place a call to New England about a possible reunion with a wide receiver who loves Mike Vrabel and the Pats.”
Carter, of course, is a die-hard Eagles fan and phenom EDGE prospect out of Penn State. He’s not related to star Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, but Abdul has made his allegiance to Philly known and was openly rooting for the team on social media during last year’s Super Bowl run.
EDGE is arguably the Eagles’ top need entering this year’s draft. The team lost Josh Sweat to free agency and Brandon Graham to retirement, and GM Howie Roseman could look to atone for a major whiff in 2024 free agency by seeking trade partners for Bryce Huff.
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While landing arguably the most impactful prospect in this year’s draft class would be tempting for Roseman and every other NFL executive, it’s a lot less palatable in this hypothetical, where you’re giving up the league’s most dominant wide receiver in the process. The Eagles do have another elite wide out in DeVonta Smith, but removing Brown from the mix would be brutal for Philly’s passing offense, especially given the current trade rumors swirling around starting tight end Dallas Goedert.
Brown’s entering his age-28 season and is currently signed through 2029. The Eagles also have a pair of high-end EDGE prospects on the roster in Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt. We wouldn’t put any trade idea past Roseman, but Philly’s GM isn’t in the business of moving one of the NFL’s best wide receivers who’s still in his prime.
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