Trade speculation around A.J. Brown has continued, but the way the Philadelphia Eagles have handled the situation has made it seem like he's not too interested in getting rid of him just yet. Perhaps that will change later in the offseason, but it seems like Brown could end up in Philadelphia once again next season.
Howie Roseman, who has taken a patient approach rather than rushing into a move that doesn’t help, is making the right decision. That patience, according to ESPN’s Ben Solak, has put the Eagles in a spot to get a very good return for him eventually.
“How general manager Howie Roseman walked the line of an A.J. Brown trade. He kept his asking price high and kept the cap open by delaying Goedert’s void date, which centralized Brown in the WR trade market. Although no deal got done, the Broncos-Dolphins Jaylen Waddle trade certainly strengthened the Eagles’ case for getting a first-round pick for Brown (who is only a year older than Waddle),” Solak wrote.
It's tough to say that Brown and what the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins did are too similar just because of how young Jaylen Waddle is, but there's definitely an argument that Brown is the better receiver, and it's probably very easy to make.
Even if Brown isn't viewed as what he used to be due to a rather strange season with the Eagles a year ago, I'd be surprised if Roseman isn't on the phone talking him up a good bit. Everybody understands that he has a ton of talent, and it's really just about doing what he has to do.
“We’ll wait to see which teams remain in need of a star receiver after June 1, when the cap hit of a Brown trade becomes far more palatable. The hay isn’t in the barn yet — the Eagles still need a dance partner come June. But Roseman is playing this well.”
From the sound of things, if a trade is going to happen, it'll happen sometime in June. The Eagles will have more teams willing to give stuff up, and it just makes more sense for them financially.