It seemed like the New England Patriots had put the AJ Brown rumors to rest. And that would impact their decisions in the upcoming draft. However, Mike Vrabel’s cryptic trade declaration about Brown left the door wide open, according to a post on X by Mark Daniels.
“Asked about AJ Brown, Mike Vrabel said, ‘We’ll try everything we can to strengthen our roster.’ Noted that message has been the same since last year.”
The Patriots aren’t exactly stacked at wide receiver right now. They have Romeo Doubs in the WR1 spot. He’s backed up by Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins. DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams are also in the significant mix.
And that level of receiver room means the Patriots still have offseason roster work to do.
Will the Patriots be able to trade for AJ Brown?
Maybe Vrabel is speaking from a situation of hopefulness. The Eagles have not committed to even trading Brown.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, a noted wheeler and dealer, said it’s not an issue right now, according to The Athletic.
“I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story,” Roseman said. “I, unfortunately, don’t have a home under a rock. 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’ll go right back to that answer.
“But I understand the interest. I mean, I put on TV. And I see that there’s interest.”
Perhaps the biggest issue the Eagles face is Brown’s discontentment. That’s a plus for the Patriots.
And this is an NFL-significant situation. If the Patriots manage to deal for Brown, they might be the team to beat for the Super Bowl as opposed to just a team in the mix.
But the Eagles have to weigh their options. If they trade Brown, are they no longer a true Super Bowl contender? Or would they be able to add to the receiver room with another deal?
