3 Takeaways From Patriots’ Trade For A.J. Brown With Eagles

The long wait finally ended on Monday when the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles completed a trade that was literally months in the making. The Eagles sent receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, as everyone knew they eventually would. The Patriots got the No. 1 receiver they so desperately needed, while the Eagles got rid of a problem. On the surface, it seems like the rare win-win trade for two teams with their sights set on Super Bowl LXI. Here are three quick takeaways from the long-awaited deal: With all due respect to DeVonta Smith, and whatever rookie Makai Lemon will eventually become, the best receiver on the Eagles before Monday was, by far, A.J. Brown. He’s averaged 75 catches, 1,147 yards, and eight touchdowns in each of his seven NFL seasons, and when training camp begins, he’ll still only be 29 years old. That’s a huge hole to fill, even for a receiver as capable as Smith and as promising as Lemon, but the Eagles have reason to believe the Brown trade can be addition by subtraction. He’s not the sole reason their passing offense seemed so disjointed and dysfunctional too often over the last three seasons, but his maddening inconsistency and obvious disinterest at times certainly have been a big part of that. It’s been obvious to everyone that something has been wrong. His once-tight relationship with best friend (and quarterback) Jalen Hurts isn’t what it once was. Brown’s own body language and cryptic nature made it clear he was unhappy with his role. And his antics were sometimes difficult to deal with, whether it was sideline outbursts or simply an odd decision to read a book on the bench during the game. Smith and Hurts seem to have the chemistry that Brown and Hurts once had, so starting over with a new No. 1 made a lot of sense. It’s not clear anyone can put up the kind of numbers Brown did in his first two years in Philly, when he averaged 97 catches for 1,476 yards and nine touchdowns. But the combination of Smith, Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown is formidable. And if they’re happier, that could be what finally gets the Eagles’ passing game back on track. Maybe it’s because he had four months to prepare, or maybe it’s because he’s the best general manager in football, but Eagles general manager Howie Roseman sure did fortify the Eagles’ receiver room in advance of the Brown trade. Clearly, DeVonta Smith is the key player, but Roseman made sure he’s surrounded by quite a cast. That’s a big change from recent seasons when Roseman struggled to find a third receiver to complement Brown and Smith. Now, even with Brown gone, he’s got a receiving group that goes four deep, maybe more. The big move was when he used two fourth-round picks to trade up three spots (with Dallas) in the draft to take USC receiver Makai Lemon 20th overall. He was the third receiver taken, and some scouts believe he could instantly be one of the best slot receivers in the entire league. They also signed the speedy Hollywood Brown, who finally looked a little like his old, healthy self in Kansas City last season (49-587-5) and is still only 29 years old (as of Thursday). And they signed Dontayvion Wicks, who caught 30 of the 46 passes thrown to him in Green Bay last season, where the promising 24-year-old was tragically underused. It’s not an all-star cast beyond Smith, but there’s more depth and potential as a corps than they’ve had in years. Take the No. 1 receiver off of most teams and they probably couldn’t survive it. But the Eagles might actually be set up to thrive. The Patriots have arguably the best young quarterback in the NFL, fresh off a near-miss at both an MVP win and a Super Bowl championship, and heading into the third year of his rookie contract. The financial window is closing a bit, even as his championship window is just starting to open up. Fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl, they had to treat this as a win-now opportunity before Drake Maye becomes something of a financial burden. So it made sense to take on the expense of Brown and to part ways with a first-round pick two years from now to get the No. 1 receiver they so desperately needed. Stefon Diggs did fine last season (85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns), but he’s 32, and fine isn’t good enough for a team on the verge of a title. Brown can be better, especially if he’s the focal point of their attack, which he almost certainly will be. The Patriots did sign Romeo Doubs, who is a formidable No. 2, but he’s not good enough to tempt offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to build a game plan around him with Brown on his team. Is that enough to put the Patriots over the top and win them their first post-Bill Belichick/Tom Brady title? Not by itself. They still need to fix the offensive line issues that left Maye battered during the playoffs, and they still have to prove they can stand up to a much more difficult schedule this season. But adding an elite receiver like Brown certainly will help and will make their road much easier if they figure everything else out.