Blockbuster DJ Moore trade just wrecked the Patriots plans for AJ Brown

Free agency is right around the corner, and the Patriots continue to be near the top of the list of teams presumably on the cusp of making a blockbuster trade for a player or two, particularly for a wide receiver.

The Bills struck first by trading with the Bears for DJ Moore, and now they just threw a wrench into the Patriots' hopeful plan of acquiring their next WR1, too.

Considering the caliber of player Moore is, and how instrumental he had been at the start of quarterback Caleb Williams' career, it's unsurprising that Chicago would only offload him for a nice return.

However, the Bills' sending a second-round pick for the receiver just ensured that the Eagles' current asking price for Brown, rumored to be a first-rounder, might not be too high, despite Brown's age and injury concerns.

This could be what makes Mike Vrabel look elsewhere for a receiver, especially since Alec Pierce is set to hit free agency for the first time next week. If he feels comfortable with their chances of getting the 25-year-old under contract, then maybe Brown was already on the back burner.

Or Moore's trade ensures that Brown will remain with the Eagles or be traded elsewhere instead.

The Patriots might be out of the running for AJ Brown after the Bills' big time trade

The growing narrative around Brown was that the Eagles were being egregious in their demand for a first-round pick for the receiver in a trade. Some believed that was their way of deterring teams from inquiring about his availability, since Howie Roseman had repeatedly stated they weren't willing to trade the receiver.

But now that a player like Moore just got moved for a second-round pick, it's making the price tag for Brown look more understandable or, at the very least, something the Eagles are completely entitled to want.

The Patriots are not in a position to give up that kind of draft capital for an aging receiver with known knee issues, even if they're picking in a more desirable position at No. 31.

That feels like too steep a price for what Vrabel is trying to accomplish with the roster, and this was a way for the Bills to screw up the Patriots' plans for an established WR1, as they can firmly say they finally have one on their roster since moving on from Stefon Diggs two years ago.

That increases their chances of regaining the divisional crown this fall, and should light a fire under the Patriots to get a player like that of their own. But it's looking more and more like it won't be Brown, unless Vrabel is able to make some sort of magic happen and not send a first-rounder to Philadelphia.