No ‘under-the-table’ A.J. Brown trade in place for Patriots

The waiting game continues when it comes to the Patriots and their long-rumored trade target, Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown.

While the traction appears to be off when it comes to filling some of the gap in New England on Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman’s steep asking price for the All-Pro wide receiver, there may be a reason for the recent radio silence.

As ESPN’s Mike Reiss pointed outthe Patriots and Eagles may not realistically be able to complete a blockbuster trade until after June 1 — given the cap ramifications set to hit a contending Philly team if they trade Brown in the next few months.

“If the Eagles trade the receiver before June 1, they will absorb $43.5 million in dead money on their salary cap ($20.1 million more than their current cap charge),” Reese wrote. “If they trade the Browns after June 1, the dead money on their salary cap would be $16.353 million.”

“These simple calculations highlight why no deal for the Browns, with the Patriots as the best suitors, will be finalized until June 1.”

If so, could the Patriots already have a framework for the deal reached with the Eagles — a deal that can only be implemented after June 1?

During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Mondaylongtime ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter countered against that sentiment — even as he noted that the Patriots remain a “logical landing spot” for Brown if he is dealt.

“What we don’t know is what will happen in New England between now and June 1,” Schefter said. “New England, for all we know, can bring it back [Stefon] Diggs, they could sign some of the other wide receivers out there, they could draft a wide receiver. If any of these things happen, it would likely take them out of the AJ Brown market.

“There is no under-the-table agreement, as far as I know, between the two sides to bring AJ Brown to New England despite the rumors,” he added.

Bringing in an established star like Brown – Who has a lot of knowledge of playing with Mike Vrabel During their time with the Giants – that would give New England’s offense another big boost, especially after already signing Romeo Dobbs.

Even during an off-season for the Brown and the Eagles’ offense in 2025, he still racked up 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. In total, Brown topped 1,000 receiving yards in six different seasons.

Speaking at Gillette Stadium earlier this monthPatriots executive vice president of player personnel, Elliot Wolf, was asked if the team was still interested in acquiring established talent via trades.

“We will explore anything we think can help the team,” Wolff said.

As for any deadlines on New England’s end when it comes to waiting on potential trades?

“I think the only real deadlines you have are kind of related to the salary cap,” Wolf said. “For example, did we spend money in free agency that would get us out of something else? I can’t say there’s a deadline to try to improve the team.”

Connor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.