Will Eagles trade AJ Brown to the Patriots? What we're hearing
PHILADELPHIA -- The 2026 NFL draft begins Thursday night in Pittsburgh. ESPN's Adam Schefter shares some intel and insights from around the league.
One big talker is whether Philadelphia's Eagles' AJ Brown will be traded.
Schefter says a Brown trade to the New England Patriots is likely, however, it may not happen until June 1, per league sources. The two sides have discussed a deal, but neither has been willing to commit to it until after June 1, when Brown's $40 million salary cap charge would be split between this and next year.
All the elements remain in place to make it happen, and Brown to the Patriots is still the likely outcome --- just not during this week's draft, per sources.
The Eagles remain open to trading Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, probably culminating in a deal, per league sources.
As one source said about the Patriots' pursuit of Brown, they'll "definitely be engaging then."
And to be clear, the Eagles are also not concerned about adding draft capital for this week's draft; acquiring additional picks in 2027 and 2028 is even more enticing to them, per sources. Picks in future years were the compensation that was discussed when the Eagles and Rams had extensive trade conversations regarding Brown, which did not materialize into a deal. Since then, the Eagles have signed Hollywood Brown on March 17, signed Elijah Moore on March 24 and traded for Dontayvion Wicks on April 10. The added receiver depth gives the Eagles more flexibility.
The Patriots remain at the forefront of trade talks for Brown. Another team could always emerge, and there's a lot of time between now and June 1. But as of now, multiple sources say they believe Brown and the Patriots are likely to become a tandem.
Eagles might not stop there
The Eagles could be making more trades beyond any Brown-related move. League sources say that general manager Howie Roseman is plotting to make a deal on draft weekend. Roseman usually has a trick or two up his sleeve, and other front office executives suspect there's one coming this week.
One possibility is adding Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard, whom the Eagles have checked in on at various points this offseason, per sources. Greenard had 12 sacks in 2024, but he managed only three last season over 12 games, despite a solid 23.3% pass rush win rate. The Vikings have been adamant about getting a premium Day 2 pick for Greenard. Philadelphia holds pick Nos. 54, 68 and 98 on Day 2 this year.
League sources say the Eagles and Vikings could revisit discussions they already have had during the upcoming draft, but talks have lost steam in recent weeks. The Eagles' wish list of trade candidates goes well beyond Greenard, per sources, though. Roseman almost always has a Plan A, B, C and D, and his team is one to monitor on one of the busiest weekends of the NFL calendar.
This is the second time that Pittsburgh has hosted the NFL draft, the first being in December 1947, when 300 players were selected over 32 rounds. The draft has now become more of an event -- and it should be a true celebration of how far it and the league have come over the past 80 years when the first round begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN, ABC, the ESPN App and the NFL Network. Cue "Renegade."
