With less than a week until the Eagles are expected to trade wide receiver AJ Brown, with the Patriots the presumed team to acquire him, the headlines are likely to be dominated by what New England's offense could look like in 2026.
That has been the hottest topic over the past month, with very little reported about other teams inquiring to boot the Patriots out of contention to finally bring Brown to Foxboro.
It appeared as though it would be smooth sailing until June 2, but, of course, that was wishful thinking, as NFL insider Ian Rapoport is now alluding to a potential speed bump for the Patriots just as things looked to be working in their favor.
According to Rapoport, the Patriots are "not willing to give up a first-round pick right now," which means they're "not particularly close" to a trade agreement. That's far from what others, including Rapoport, have said in recent days, which is concerning with the trade nearing.
Latest update on the Patriots' pursuit of AJ Brown is far from what we needed to hear
Over the past month, the Patriots have been the only team reported to be heavily pursuing Brown, especially after the Rams allegedly almost got it done but backed out.
NFL insiders and reporters have said that a trade had been agreed to unofficially and that the teams were just waiting until June 2 to make the announcement. All signs pointed to that being true, with the Patriots not signing or drafting any receivers, and the Eagles signing as many as they could.
But now Rapoport is suggesting that's far from the case, despite all rumors claiming the Patriots had offered a future first-rounder, with some hinting it was probably in 2028.
It's a bit odd that the insider is now making it seem that they're further apart from getting a deal done than that, prompting fans to wonder how much truth there is to his reporting. It's possible the Eagles are trying to see if any other team will swoop in and make a better offer, or they're trying to save face, and they're acting like a deal hasn't been made just yet.
We won't know exactly, and this situation may be dragged out, as Rapoport said, and that's something Patriots fans don't want to deal with, either.
But if at the end of it all, it means Brown still lands in New England, then so be it.
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