So far, ever since the New England Patriots lost in Super Bowl LX, we've seen general manager Eliot Wolf make radical changes to the team's receiving corps. But are they better than before?
Stefon Diggs has been let go (and has yet to sign anywhere else). The Patriots have replaced him with Romeo Dobbs on a $68 million contract. But Dobbs, who has played four seasons, has never gone above 750 yards in a year. However, he finished with a career-high 724 yards passing with the Packers.
Nevertheless, the Patriots may still want to upgrade their group of pass-catchers, and those around the NFL expect New England to do so via trade.
According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Patriots are "likely" to trade for AJ Brown from the Eagles. But not until after June 1, when they will be allowed to spread the Browns' dead salary cap charge over two seasons instead of taking the $40 million penalty in 2026.
"The Eagles are open to trading AJ Brown, the Patriots are highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and according to league sources, talks are expected to resume on or before June 1, which could result in a deal. As a source said of the Patriots' pursuit of Brown, they "would certainly be attractive then." A trade with New England is now being considered a possibility."
ESPN's Adam Schefter on AJ Brown trade
While the Patriots and Eagles have more than a month to work out the specifics of a potential Browns trade, others believe there may already be a verbal agreement between the two teams. Or, the Eagles could still hope another team comes along with an even stronger offer than the one New England is making for the four-time Pro Bowl receiver.
If traded to New England, Brown would be reunited with Mike Vrabel, who was his head coach on the Titans from 2019 to 2021. Suddenly, the receiving tandem of Brown and Dobbs looks better than New England's top two pass-catchers did last season, when it was just Diggs and Hunter Henry, who were second on the team with 768 receiving yards. Henry is still under contract through 2026.
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