Patriots may have this big concern about trading for Eagles' A.J. Brown

While numerous stories continue to link Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown with the New England Patriots, March reports revealed that the Los Angeles Rams looked into acquiring Brown before they "tapped out of the talks" with the Eagles. 

Some assumed the Rams didn't want to match the asking price for Brown of a first-round draft pick and a second-round choice that reportedly has been set by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. On the latest edition of the "Patriots Talk Podcast," Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston suggested there's a different reason a team may not give Roseman exactly what he wants for Brown this offseason. 

Will this concern keep Patriots from trading for A.J. Brown?

"One thing we haven't discussed yet as it pertains to A.J. Brown is his knee, the condition of it," Curran explained, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. "The Rams -- reportedly and behind closed doors, the people I've talked to -- they passed on him because of the condition of his knee. I think it's something that looms over this entire A.J. Brown conversation. You already have one reputable team that's pushed away from the table on A.J. Brown. Everyone's yearning for that player to join the Patriots. You can't say it's a zero (percent) chance that the Patriots might look at A.J. Brown's knee when they get him in front of their doctors and say, 'A first (-round pick) and a second (-round pick)? I don't know if we want to do that.'"

Brown has a history of knee problems going back to when he had current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel as a head coach with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 through the 2021 season. Additionally, Brown signed a three-year, $96M contract extension with $84M in guaranteed money in the spring of 2024. Thus, he would cost more than just the draft assets requested by Roseman. 

Could Eagles eventually lower asking price for A.J. Brown?

The Eagles may not trade Brown before June 1 of this year due to reasons related to the salary cap. However, a recent report hinted that the working relationship between Brown and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts may be damaged beyond repair. 

Thus, Patriots insider Phil Perry thinks there's a chance that Roseman could lower his asking price for Brown at some point this offseason. 

"...If the knees don't look great, and the Eagles know it, and the Rams know it, and maybe the rest of the league -- including the Patriots -- know it, does that then impact the trade compensation that you'd be willing to take back if you're Philadelphia?" Perry asked during the podcast episode. 

One thing that seems certain is that speculation about Brown's future will continue to hover over the Eagles as long as he remains on their roster this spring.