Patriots Reportedly Meeting To Discuss This Aspect Of A.J. Brown Trade originally appeared on NESN.
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The Patriots could be mere hours away from acquiring A.J. Brown.
All indications are that New England will trade for the star receiver after 4 p.m. ET on Monday, when the Philadelphia Eagles would be able to spread out Brown’s dead-cap charges. However, numerous reports indicate top Patriots decision-makers remain split on whether Brown is worth giving up a future first-round pick.
NFL insider Josina Anderson provided an update in an X post on Monday morning. Here’s the full text:
“OVERNIGHT UPDATE: As of late yesterday, I was told reluctance remains among some* segments of the #Patriots higher-ranks for giving up any form of a first-round pick for #Eagles WR AJ Brown, but* that the plan remains to huddle-up this morning on 11th-hour trade-term stances—including whether they’re collectively* okay with giving up a 2028 first-rounder as comfortable middle ground, per league sources.
“While it was acknowledged to me that a 2028 1st-rounder has come up in discussions, it was not yet affirmed that this compensation was 100% greenlit, at the time of discussions with sources yesterday.
“While there’s uniform agreement that Brown is a first-round talent & a stud difference-maker, the preference to achieve a 2nd-round valuation for Brown by some (due to mitigating factors in Brown’s profile), along with potentially* including a pick swap, was restated over the weekend.
“That said, we all know head coach Mike Vrabel really wants to do what it takes to get his former player & that he’s the heavy finger on the trigger.
“So the tone of inevitability on a Brown trade still remains from New England’s perspective, for now it’s just about what’s the ultimate agreement on the complete terms to get it over the finish line, whilst peeking for any left field updates.”
OVERNIGHT UPDATE: As of late yesterday, I was told reluctance remains among some* segments of the #Patriots higher-ranks for giving up any form of a first-round pick for #Eagles WR AJ Brown, but* that the plan remains to huddle-up this morning on 11th-hour trade-term… https://t.co/K2tgaWDpkOpic.twitter.com/XFPl7qIG8p
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) June 1, 2026
There are arguments for and against surrendering a first-round pick, even if it’s for the 2028 NFL Draft.
On the one hand, acquiring Brown could make the Patriots legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and you can’t put a price on that — within reason. On the other hand, Brown undoubtedly is a declining player with a lengthy injury history, even though he remains a No. 1 receiver.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer to learn how this story ends.
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