Coach Nick Sirianni says 'A.J.’s an Eagle,' but there's no time limit on that statement. Meanwhile, the Patriots still seem interested.
PHOENIX — A.J. Brown is a Philadelphia Eagle. That’s what head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman have kept repeating at the NFL owners meetings the past few days. But that, of course, didn’t answer the question prevalent around the league.
Will Brown be an Eagle when the season kicks off? The Philly brass repeatedly dodged that question as the team's star receiver remains entrenched in trade rumors. 'I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story,' Roseman told reporters on Sunday at the NFL’s annual meetings. 'Unfortunately, I don’t have a home under a rock. But my answer to any question on A.J. Brown is that A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles.' The answer feels akin to when teams have to repeatedly state their starting quarterback is the guy — right now. Because the implication is that things might change in the near future. 'A.J.’s an Eagle,' Sirianni said Monday. Right now. Sirianni fielded a question about whether he thinks DeVonta Smith is a bona fide No. 1 receiver. Smith, of course, might have to be the top option if the team moves on from Brown. But Sirianni sidestepped that question. 'Let’s keep A.J. in there. Both those players are phenomenal players that contributed to a lot of wins over the past four years here,' the Eagles coach said. 'It’s not like we have a 1a and 1b. We have two ones there.' Brown, who will turn 29 in June, is expected to net at least a first-round pick for Philly, per multiple reports. In each of the past two seasons, he has eclipsed 1,000 yards and has seven touchdowns. In 2023, he posted 1,456 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. One of the most likely destinations for Brown is the New England Patriots, who signed former Packers receiver Romeo Doubs in free agency, in part to replace Stefon Diggs, a salary cap casualty. But their passing game could use more help as they try to maximize Drake Maye's development — and the QB's rent-controlled rookie contract. Brown played for Patriots coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, and while Brown is well-known to be mercurial, he and Vrabel were a good match with the Titans. So yet again, Vrabel fielded a question about whether the team might trade for the Eagles’ star receiver. 'We're gonna try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster, through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition,' Vrabel told reporters. 'So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we're going to try to do.' Speaking generally about trades, Vrabel said he wasn’t too worried about trading picks in this draft versus next year’s draft — or even the 2028 draft. That's notable, because it has been widely reported that the Eagles could wait until June 1 to trade Brown, which would alleviate some of the dead cap money in his contract. That would mean that the Patriots — or any interested trade partner — would be working with assets in the 2027 draft, which many expect to be a better class than this year's. Vrabel clearly isn't interested in that kind of guesswork. The other question with Brown is whether the Patriots would be receptive to the receiver’s outspoken personality. He was a key cog in Philly’s Super Bowl run two seasons ago, but when things weren’t going well for the Eagles last year, Brown openly criticized the passing game — and implied he wouldn’t be with the team for long. But, again, speaking generally about players with big egos and personalities, Vrabel seemed confident he could handle a guy like Brown. 'We understand that in professional sports, players are talented and have some sort of ego to them,' Vrabel told reporters. 'And there’s a balance. They have to have that edge. As a coaching staff — whatever that is — you have to balance that edge. 'Everyone wants to excel. What receiver doesn’t want to catch the ball?' What team will Brown be catching the ball for in 2026? It remains an open question.
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