Presumably, it is only a matter of a couple weeks before A.J. Brown goes from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots. A trade has reportedly been on the minds of both teams for a long time now, and after June 1, we're ready to see the deal go down.
To this point, we kind of already know what the trade will look like. But, one of the biggest questions that hasn't been asked as often as it should be is the thought of other teams being involved.
Recently, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler commented on that topic at hand.
"Is there another team that gets involved here? I have not found one.
"It was rumored that the Chiefs once upon a time, I was told no. The Rams we know looked into it. I don’t know if it got to a serious level, but it definitely was an inquiry and that didn’t go anywhere. Would the Rams get back involved? I don’t know that they would."
New England appears to be on an island.
The Patriots should feel like they have some power in the A.J. Brown trade saga, but they don't
The more alarming part of all of this is the fact that Fowler is talking about the return Philadelphia is asking for and whether the Eagles could get more than a first-round pick.
So, let us get all of this straight for a minute.
There is only one team involved in a potential trade for Brown -- the Patriots. No one else is involved, and Fowler doesn't see any other team getting involved beyond New England.
The return for Brown is almost certain to be a 2028 first-round pick, which is already a pretty price to pay.
And somehow, there are questions around the Eagles getting more in return for Brown?
Why?
If the Patriots are the only team involved in a trade for Brown, wouldn't you think that makes them the one who holds all of the power?
Now, don't hear what I am not saying. I am not saying the Patriots should operate under the assumption that they hold the cards. After all, they're banking on Brown being in New England.
But, don't you think there's a little part of Howie Roseman that wonders if the Patriots would suddenly back out of the first-round price, leaving the Eagles with Brown, DeVonta Smith and the conundrum of having a first-round wide receiver in Makai Lemon?
Let's say, just for argument's sake, that the trade fell through because New England tried to get smart. If the Eagles were left keeping Brown, that could be a massive distraction for Philadelphia. You thought it was difficult to keep Brown happy with just one other talented wide receiver? Try adding Lemon to the mix.
In all likelihood, this gets done and it's all just pure speculation at this point. But, Patriots fans have got to feel a little torn knowing there is not a single other team involved and, somehow, they're going to be giving up a first rounder in this process.
Part of that still feels a little like New England is getting the short end of the stick.
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