Trade speculation surrounding A.J. Brown has continued to come up as the Philadelphia Eagles navigate a weird situation. While Brown is one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL, questions about the team’s long-term future have started conversations about whether the Eagles could eventually consider moving the star.
His attitude is a big reason as to why.
One scenario that’s important to remember is the timing. According to Cayden Steele, the Eagles have to be smart about when a deal happens in order to lessen the financial impact.
“It’s more likely the Eagles trade Brown with a post-June 1 designation after the draft to make the cap hit less damaging, according to NFL Network,” Steele wrote for NJ.com.
A post-June 1 designation would allow Philadelphia to spread the dead cap charges across multiple seasons rather than dealing with the full financial hit immediately. For teams managing tight salary cap situations, that type of deal can make a smart difference when considering whether a trade is feasible.
However, Steele also noted that general manager Howie Roseman has reportedly been exploring creative ways to move Brown sooner if the right deal comes up.
“But Roseman is being creative to get a deal done,” Steele continued. “He has tried to convince teams to do half the deal now and half of it later so he can trade Brown before the draft and manage the cap hit, per NFL Network’s report.”
That type of deal would allow the Eagles to move Brown earlier in the offseason while still easing the money aspect. It’d also potentially allow Philadelphia to get valuable draft capital in time for the upcoming draft.
Brown has been one of the league’s most productive wide receivers since arriving in Philadelphia, forming an elite duo with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Again, more of this is due to his attitude rather than his play.
Because of that, any deal involving Brown would be a shift in the team’s offensive plan. While a trade remains on the table, there’s reason to believe it should happen this offseason at some point. It’s tough to see it end this way, but it makes sense.