Star receiver A.J. Brown has attempted to double down on his commitment to the Philadelphia Eagles, but this is not stopping the trade rumors from swirling. Bleacher Report put together a few potential trade packages involving Brown for the Eagles to explore. One intriguing trade proposal has the Eagles sending Brown to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
“Assuming they do draft Caleb Williams, they trade away Justin Fields,” Bleacher Report’s Jake Ellenbogen explained during a March 7, 2024 live stream. “They get maybe a second and a fourth [draft picks for Fields]. They still have that first-round pick [No. 9]. And that first-round pick is either going to protect Caleb Williams or that first-round pick is going to be a weapon for Caleb Williams.
“So, in my opinion, if they’re going to go for a weapon, how about go out and get A.J. Brown? You put him with D.J. Moore. You have Cole Kmet. That’s a pretty nasty trio over there to give a kid coming right out of college those weapons.”
There are obvious reasons why this trade makes sense for the Bears. Giving Caleb Williams two legitimate playmakers in Brown and D.J. Moore would give the former USC star every chance to succeed in the NFL.
For the Eagles, why would general manager Howie Roseman consider a deal like this? There are obviously financial implications given Brown’s four-year, $100 million contract is slated to run through the 2026 season.
Brown is still a cap bargain for 2024 with a $1.1 million salary combined with a $12.4 million cap hit. Yet, this cap number escalates all the way up to $26.5 million in 2025. Brown’s cap hit will be a massive $41.5 million in 2026.
The challenge is the top receivers are likely to be already be off the board by the No. 9 pick. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft has Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers all being selected within the first six picks.
In this hypothetical scenario, Philly could address another position like cornerback at No. 9 and select a receiver later in the draft. Yet, this trade leaves a giant hole of offensive production to replace. Brown posted a career-high 106 receptions for 1,456 yards and 7 touchdowns in 17 starts last season.
Despite plenty of rumors about his future, Brown has expressed his desire to remain in Philadelphia. Back in February, Brown called into Philadelphia 94 WIP to shoot down the trade rumors.
“I think it’s important to note he was asked about how he felt being on the roster because I’m still not entirely sure why there’s so much speculation about him getting traded or wanting to be traded.”
Jonathan Adams covers the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, focusing on the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Lakers. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
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