The New England Patriots swung for the fences this offseason, finally completing a trade for star receiver A.J. Brown. The hope is that Brown can bolster the Patriots' weak wide receiver room and help out Drake Maye as he enters a crucial third season in the league.
While we won't officially know who won this trade for a few more years, Philadelphia Eagles fans think they already won the deal, even before Brown caught a pass in a Patriots uniform.
Anthony Miller of Inside the Iggles cited Madden 27's wide receiver rankings as further proof that Philly won the deal, with DeVonta Smith, Brown's former teammate, being ranked higher than Brown.
"One interesting fact about the list is that Smith got himself a 92 overall in the game. What was Brown's Madden rating? That's not known because he was not in the top 100, with Smith only getting beaten by six other NFL wide receivers in overall rating," Miller wrote.
"Anyone who watched Eagles football last year could clearly see that Smith was the better receiver, and Madden 27 sees it too. This means the Eagles got it right by finally completing the trade and getting the first-round pick fans were wanting from him."
Eagles fans think Madden ratings are why Patriots lost A.J. Brown trade
Miller is obviously entitled to his own opinion, as Smith is a good receiver and the Eagles can no longer lean on him as their WR1. The good news for the Patriots is that Brown doesn't have to be better than Smith for this trade to work out in New England's favor.
As long as Brown can provide a reliable target for Maye week to week, that's enough to make this a massive win for the Patriots.
Maye had Stefon Diggs as his main target a season ago, but Diggs is no longer in New England. The Patriots need Brown to be their new WR1, and surely he can pick up where he left off in Philly from a production standpoint.
Again, we won't truly know which team won this trade for a few more years. While Eagles fans seem to think they're already the victors, if the Patriots can get solid production from Brown and remain one of the top teams in the AFC, that should be enough to look at the trade as a success down the road.
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