Has Kevin Byard III talked with Eagles' A.J. Brown about possible trade to Patriots?

Safety Kevin Byard III signed with the New England Patriots earlier in the offseason and made it known in April that he wants friend and wantaway Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown to join him in New England before the 2026 campaign gets underway. 

Byard and Brown previously had New England's Mike Vrabel as a head coach while with the Tennessee Titans, and the two shared a locker room as members of the Eagles during the 2023 season. They also train together during offseasons, so it's fair to wonder if Byard has spoken to Brown about a trade.

Kevin Byard III repeats A.J. Brown hope amid trade rumors

"We honestly haven’t talked about it directly, and I don’t know what’s the situation here," Byard said about discussions he has and hasn't had with Brown, per Mark Daniels of MassLive. "I hope it can work out. I hope he can come here and play for us, but that remains to be seen. I’m just trying to get to know the guys that we have here, from [Romeo Doubs] to [DeMario Douglas] and all these other guys that we have here. But if we’re able to get A.J., obviously, he’s incredibly talented, somebody I played with. He’s the true No. 1 receiver in this league, so that’d be awesome to pair up with him again."

Doubs, who signed with New England in March, hinted on Tuesday that he is willing to relinquish the Patriots' WR1 job to Brown. Such a trade can't become official before June 1 for reasons related to the salary cap, and some think a different receiver-needy team could swoop in for Brown if the Eagles aren't satisfied with what the Patriots are offering. 

When Kevin Byard III knew A.J. Brown could be special

Brown was a rookie during the 2019 season when he and Byard were with the Titans. In Week 4 of that campaign, Brown tallied 94 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in a Tennessee win over the Atlanta Falcons. 

"I remember the first game that he really popped out was against the Falcons in Atlanta," Byard recalled. "He scored two touchdowns, and I remember he caught like a slant and took it to the house. And at that point, I was like, 'Yeah, he’s going to be a dog. He’s going to be a really good player.' And he basically just took off since then."

Assuming numerous reporters and insiders are right, Brown should have opportunities to make big plays as a member of the New England offense later this year.