INDIANAPOLIS – A high-end receiver near the limit in his prime. A tense relationship between a franchise and a player. And a market of NFL teams dealing with how those factors guide its trade value.
AJ Brown of 2026 is Stefon Diggs of 2024.
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That’s the feeling I got from executives at the league’s annual scouting meeting this week in Indianapolis, where Brown’s trade availability became starkly evident Tuesday. Given the opportunity to make a strong statement about Brown being on the Philadelphia Eagles roster next season, general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni made no guarantees when speaking to the media. There were shades of mixing in 2024, when rumors of the Buffalo Bills potentially trading Stefon Diggs were circulating and general manager Brandon Beane was put in the hot seat over the topic.
His response when asked if Diggs would be on the Bills roster in 2024?
“Yeah, I expect him to be there.”
The infused use of movements of to wait for was subtle but remarkable. Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans less than five weeks later.
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If anything, the Eagles’ language about Brown on Tuesday was even more ambiguous than Beane’s talk regarding Diggs in 2024.
“Will AJ be there next season? I think we’re still in a tough spot, I can’t guarantee how things are going to go next season,” Sirianni said of Brown. “I think I will be coach next season, but you can’t guarantee anything after tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I expect him to want to be here. And obviously you want good players like that in your building. Like Howie said, it’s hard to get good players in this league. AJ is a great player and AJ is a good teammate and AJ is a good person. Does he want to be here? Yes. Do I want him to be here? Yes.
(Get more Eagles news: Philadelphia team feed)
For those who deciphered, it was a lot of words that still didn’t close any doors. On the contrary, Roseman made it clear that for the right price, the Eagles would trade their players.
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“I think you start the league year hearing offers for anything and everything,” Roseman said. “If someone is going to give you something that you didn’t anticipate and you’re not even going to have the conversation, I don’t think you’re necessarily doing your job or really serving the team that you’re with. … You never know what someone is willing to do. Certainly, we’ve been in situations where there were guys we didn’t plan to trade and we got too good an offer, and then you balance it with what you can get.”
“Without going into detail about a player, we’re always listening and we’re always pretty open. There’s very little that I would pull without even hearing what that means, because how does it hurt to listen?”
Those are a lot of words used to say, “If you’re interested in AJ Brown, we’re interested in listening to him.” »
So what does this mean for Brown’s market?
AJ Brown experienced a drop in production last season. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Mitchell Leff via Getty Images)
After speaking to six front-office executives in Indianapolis — including two teams expected to add depth this offseason — Brown’s value falls in the typical eye of the beholder. Two were particularly low on his market, suggesting a third-rounder and some trades of later-round picks that could ultimately add to second-round value. Three others pointed to the Diggs deal in 2024, when the Bills were initially thought to be looking for a first-rounder, but ultimately decided to deal him with a fifth- and sixth-round pick and send him to the Texans for a second-rounder. One executive believed Brown was worth a “late first-round pick” from an AFC team Philadelphia wouldn’t face in the playoffs unless it advanced to the Super Bowl. The four that best fit this criteria would be the Buffalo Bills (who hold the 26th overall pick), Texans (28th), Denver Broncos (30th) and New England Patriots (31st).
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For any acquiring team, the natural question is whether Brown is the missing piece that would open or significantly improve a Super Bowl window over the next few seasons. But much like Diggs’ final days with the Bills, concerns remain about Brown’s seemingly shaky relationships with his head coach, quarterback and offensive coordinator last season. There are also questions about his production decline in 2025 and whether he can play up to his three second-team All-Pro statuses from 2022 to 2024. Not to mention how many elite seasons remain as Brown turns 29 in June.
“At twenty-nine, it starts to get a little scary with physical receivers,” one AFC executive said. “Look at Deebo (Samuel). The drop can come quickly and you don’t know for sure when it will come.”
Added a longtime NFC staffer: “Money and (personality) are concerns, I’m sure. Whoever the (wide receivers) coach is with the Titans, where is he now? That could be the key to a trade. He needs a sponsor and an advocate in the building to say he’s worth trading and how ‘we’ can work with him.”
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In 2024, Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles that guaranteed him $84 million. He is under contract until the 2029 season.
Brown’s wide receivers coach with the Titans was Rob Moore, who now holds the same position with the Carolina Panthers. Currently, the Panthers don’t appear to be in the high-end market after drafting Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan in the first round last season, and Jalen Coker appearing ready to take on a heavier workload alongside McMillan.
Of course, this week’s deal could also contain some of the answers to Brown’s potential trade market. Depending on their performance this week and training over the next two months, up to five to six wideouts could end up in the first round of the draft. This is by far the richest offensive position in this draft, providing options to some of those teams with late first-round picks and needs at wide receiver.
A key time to keep in mind is the league’s spring meetings in late March, where front offices and coaching staffs cross paths again and many pre-draft trades gain significant traction. And if Brown is traded, it will likely happen before this draft — so that it includes compensation for 2026 rather than picks in 2027, which should be a much stronger and deeper class.
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“No one wants to abandon the selections for 2027 at the moment,” said the AFC leader. “If there’s a deal on draft picks, you want it to include your 2026 picks. Especially if it’s in the first two or three rounds.”
