Grading the trade: Patriots kill two birds with one stone after finally coming to terms with Eagles on an A.J. Brown move
The New England Patriots have finally come to terms with the Eagles when it comes to A.J. Brown. But what did the Pats give up to get him? And was it worth it? We grade the trade.
The day has finally come. New England Patriots fans have had June 1 circled on their calendar since the end of the Super Bowl, which was the beginning of the noise surrounding A.J. Brown’s future with the Eagles.
Which brings us to present day, where June 1 is here, and now the eyebrows have been raised. Talks of a trade between the two parties have gone on for months, and we have finally reached a resolution.
A.J. Brown 2025 stats
- 78 receptions.
- 1,003 receiving yards.
- 7 receiving touchdowns.
Patriots acquire A.J. Brown for 2028 1st rounder, 2027 5th rounder
This comes off as a major win for the Patriots in my opinion. The present value of a dollar is always higher than that of a future one. It’s basic business principles. But when that dollar, or in this case, draft pick is tied to 2027, that present value goes even higher. The 2027 NFL Draft class is believed to be the best in recent NFL history.
Not just from a quarterback standpoint, but from a pure prospect standpoint. Having a 2027 first will be much more fruitful than a 2028 one, where that class is both unknown and will struggle to live up to the hype of the 2027 class.
The other factor here, is where the Patriots will be picking. This is a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance with a young star at quarterback. Getting back to the Super Bowl is no easy feat, but the Patriots are set up for success much better than most NFL franchises.
Which means that the first rounder in 2028 will likely be towards the back end of Round 1, which is a prime place for trading back, as much as it is sticking and picking.
Final grade for A.J. Brown trade: A
The Patriots just acquired a bona fide No.1 WR coming off a “down year” that would be a career year for most pass catchers. He’s someone who pairs perfectly with Drake Maye’s deep ball accuracy and what the Pats want to do with their vertical stretch offense.
The Patriots pick up the remainder of Brown’s contract at $113 million over four years, but the Eagles are taking on a $43 million cap hit over the next two seasons. The Patriots now have their franchise wide receiver, have reunited him with the coach who drafted him, and only parted ways with what will likely be a late first-rounder in 2028, and a fifth in 2027. A good move all around in my opinion.