For months, the New England Patriots have been floated as the likeliest trade destination for A.J. Brown. From cryptic social media posts to his past with head coach Mike Vrabel, it makes plenty of sense on paper.
Not even signing Romeo Doubs was enough to waver the rumors. And, given that Brown has been vocal about his feelings in the City of Brotherly Love, the story won’t go away any time soon.
That’s why Patriots’ Executive VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf had to clear the air about the situation. Contrary to earlier reports, the wheels definitely aren’t in motion:
“We haven’t had any conversations regarding [A.J. Brown] in a long time,” Wolf said (h/t Up & Adams).
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman echoed a similar sentiment in the annual meetings in Arizona. When asked about his star pass catcher, Roseman essentially urged the media to just give the story a rest:
“I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story. I, unfortunately, don’t have a home under a rock,” Roseman said, per ESPN’s Tim McManus. “But my answer to any question on A.J. Brown is A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles. From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I’m going to go right back to that answer. But I understand the interest. I put on TV and I see that there’s interest, but my answer is A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Of course, that’s not to say that Brown won’t be on the move or that the Patriots won’t inquire about him again in the future. The Eagles would save $7 million in cap space by trading him after June 1, and the Pats have enough assets and cap space to make a move.
For now, it looks like both teams will just focus on the NFL Draft and the remaining dominoes in free agency.
