Are Eagles already willing to lower asking price for A.J. Brown?

A report from last week claimed that interested teams believed Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would only trade A.J. Brown if the Eagles received a first-round draft pick, a second-round choice AND a player in return for the mercurial wide receiver.

It sounds like Roseman may already be altering that asking price ahead of the new league year, which opens this coming Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

What Eagles may now want for A.J. Brown? 

"Philly is asking for a steep price for Brown -- one executive said it wants a first- and second-round pick for him," ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler shared on Sunday. "Perhaps that changes." 

To compare, the Las Vegas Raiders didn't wait until Wednesday to agree to a trade that will send 28-year-old pass-rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round draft picks when the new league year begins. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5M contract extension last offseason, while Brown inked a three-year, $96M extension with $84M in guaranteed money back in the spring of 2024.

As recently as last week, it was reported that at least one NFL executive from a different team felt at that time that Roseman is "not exactly a motivated seller" as it pertains to Brown. A different update revealed that the Eagles are "inclined to only deal with AFC teams" as it pertains to possibly trading Brown. 

This team is "in the mix" for A.J. Brown

Also on Sunday, Fowler mentioned that the New England Patriots are "in the mix" among teams that could trade for Brown. The Patriots had a need at the position even before it was learned that they are parting ways with veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Additionally, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel served as Brown's head coach when the two were with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 through the 2021 season.

That said, the Patriots could shift their focus and attempt to sign a receiver in free agency, such as Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts, if New England doesn't want to match Roseman's price for Brown. The Eagles may wait until June 1 to finalize a Brown trade for reasons related to the salary cap, but some would-be buyers may decide to address their receiver needs over the next couple of months.