Concerning AJ Brown rumor could force Patriots' decision on blockbuster trade

The second wave of free agency has been drastically different from the nonstop action of the legal tampering period, with the only thing more consistent than signings being the ongoing rumors about AJ Brown.

From the Eagles' disinterest in trading him anywhere until after June 1 to the Rams being revealed as a surprise team looking to make a deal, the Patriots are clearly in the midst of a lot of nonsense revolving around the receiver. And unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be ending any time soon.

Now that the Rams have allegedly backed out of a possible trade, which was reportedly started from their interest in trading away Davante Adams, the latest rumor shared by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggests there's a reason for their sudden step back, and perhaps the Patriots should take that as a sign of their interest, too.

AJ Brown's previous injuries are rumored to be scaring off teams for potential trades

Florio spoke about what he's heard regarding the Rams' decision to back out of a potential trade, claiming that preliminary examinations of Brown's previously injured knee from his time with the Titans made them more than hesitant to proceed.

Amongst Patriots fans, this has been a voiced concern about watching the team trade for Brown, despite how good he could and would be for the offense. His history of knee injuries has deemed him a risk, and it looks like the Rams feel that way, as well.

At the same time, however, there are some who believe this is either the Eagles' way of scaring teams off from even inquiring about Brown. That could work in the Patriots' favor, if they are still interested in reuniting Mike Vrabel with his former receiver, or this could put doubts in their minds instead.

What does seem clear is that the Eagles have no interest in moving Brown until they aren't on the hook for close to $50 million in dead cap, and that could be a factor the Patriots consider about getting a deal done, since Brown wouldn't be able to join the team until the summer.

That's far from ideal, but if they view him as the right guy to help elevate Drake Maye and the offense, then it'll be worth it. Regardless, they should take Florio's report into consideration, as well, even before seeing what Brown's results would be in a trade-mandated physical.

It could push them in another direction for a different receiver.