Eagles' DeVonta Smith has reportedly had strong reaction to A.J. Brown trade rumors

While the team on the other end of the deal remained a mystery as of the afternoon of May 20, it has seemed likely for months that the Philadelphia Eagles will eventually trade wantaway wide receiver A.J. Brown. 

This could happen sometime before training-camp practices get underway in July. Meanwhile, ESPN's Tim McManus mentioned in a piece published on April 10 that "the Eagles view DeVonta Smith as a WR1 capable of thriving with a larger workload" once Brown is off the Philadelphia roster. 

During a recent appearance on the FanDuel TV "Up & Adams" program, NFL reporter James Palmer of Bleacher Report and other outlets expanded on why the Eagles believe Smith will flourish after they trade Brown. 

DeVonta Smith is "possessed" with replacing A.J. Brown as the Eagles' undisputed WR1

"The one player I would keep my eye on is DeVonta Smith," Palmer explained, per Cayden Steele of NJ Advance Media. "What I have been told this offseason is he has been a man possessed about, 'I am going to step into this No. 1 role,' calling former receivers, asking them about different things this offseason."

Back in April, the Eagles traded up to grab USC receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. While the Eagles reportedly "have big plans" for Lemon, it's becoming clear that Smith is expected to become the favorite target of quarterback Jalen Hurts this coming fall. 

According to ESPN stats, Smith led the Eagles for the 2025 regular season with 1,008 receiving yards. He was second on the team with 77 receptions, and he tallied four receiving touchdowns over 17 games. 

Nick Sirianni is excited to get the most out of DeVonta Smith

"I had a conversation with (Eagles head coach) Nick Sirianni, and he was like, 'We have just scratched the surface with Devonta Smith. Like, I think we can do so much more with him in this new offense. We can do so much more with him,'" Palmer continued.

Sirianni and Co. are hoping that Hurts will thrive while playing under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. As it pertains to Brown's future, he has been linked with the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Rams. 

On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter repeated that he thinks the Patriots are the "likely" destination for Brown and that the trade will be completed "on or shortly after" June 1.