Patriots, Bills, Ravens list possible trade suitors for $96M wide receiver originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
When it comes to teams in need of wide receivers, all eyes are on Philadelphia Eagles star AJ Brown.
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Brown has been listed as a trade candidate this offseason because of his dissatisfaction with the Eagles’ offense in recent years.
While head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman have said they want to keep the wide receiver, they haven’t closed the door on a trade either.
“Will AJ be here next season? I think we’re still in a position where it’s like, I can’t guarantee what’s going to happen next season. I think I’ll be the coach next season, but you can’t guarantee anything after tomorrow,” Sirianni said.
ESPN’s Ben Solak included Brown on the list in an article ranking the top offseason trade candidates, giving him a 60% chance of being traded.
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Solak identified the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens as possible suitors if Brown were on the trade block.
Brown’s individual production seemed to decline last season, but it’s fair to believe that his frustration with the offense led to some unselfish performances. Acquiring a team runs the risk of Brown being past his athletic prime (he turns 29 this summer), but his deal only has one year guaranteed, so it wouldn’t be too much of a commitment. And Brown’s recent ceiling has been at the level of a top-five receiver. He threw for 1,003 yards last season and has scored at least seven touchdowns in each of the past four seasons.
Predict trading opportunities: 60%
Potential teams that would be a good fit: Patriots, Bills, Ravens
All three teams could serve as landing spots for Brown.
The Patriots may cut Stefon Diggs this offseason due to the huge hit to the salary cap. Even if they bring him back, the Patriots need to add depth to a young and unproven room.
The Bills have struggled at wide receiver in recent years after passing Keon Coleman in the draft and free agent Joshua Palmer. Khalil Shakir is a reliable target for Josh Allen, but Buffalo needs more, preferably a true No. 1.
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Baltimore’s need at receiver isn’t quite as pressing, but there’s certainly still a need. Zay Flowers has been a reliable target for Lamar Jackson, but he hasn’t received much support from Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins is a pending free agent.
We think the Patriots are the most likely landing spot for Brown out of these three teams, thanks to their cap space, solid draft picks and head coach Mike Vrabel’s connection to Brown from his days with the Tennessee Titans.
The Bills have enough incentive to make a big move for Brown, but they’re in poor financial shape and acquiring Brown could seriously hamper the team’s ability to fill multiple other needs.
Baltimore is a middle-of-the-road option with plenty of cap space, but the Ravens also have bigger fish to fry on defense and could choose to spend their resources there instead of investing in another wideout.
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