TL;DR
A.J. Brown's potential trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots hinges on timing, particularly around a June 1 deadline. The NFL Draft also plays a crucial role in the decision-making process for the Eagles.
How the NFL Draft changes A.J. Brown Eagles-Patriots trade rumors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For A.J. Brown to actually be traded, potentially from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots, timing is everything.
The Eagles have a June 1 date in their mind. They also ought to have NFL Draft implications in the picture, too.
Everything matters when it comes to moving a player of this magnitude.
The Eagles would like to trade post-June 1 for salary reasons.
But the NFL Draft could change everything.
"The draft represents a bit of a pressure point, though, given its ability to alter a franchise's perspective on its personnel," ESPN's Tim McManus wrote in a new article on Monday. "As an example: theĀ New England PatriotsĀ are widely considered the favorite to acquire Brown. But what if the board falls a certain way and they feel compelled to take a receiver early? That would mean they'd have invested not only, say, a first round pick in the position this offseason but also a good deal of money after inkingĀ Romeo DoubsĀ to a four-year, $68 million contract in free agency. Would they be as eager to hand over significant resources to land Brown?"
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There's also a point often made that it can be easier to trade soon before a draft because if draft picks themselves are being dealt, a team knows exactly what slot they're in, rather than just a broader round.
The Eagles, too, could think about WR at some point in the draft and impact their own feelings on trading Brown, too.
There might not always be options, though, depending on how the draft goes.
"There is something to be said for making a deal while you still have a dance partner," McManus wrote in his new article.
It seems the Pats are willing right now. The Eagles may want to at least consider it before the draft later this month.
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