An Eagles star's prank and reunion theories highlight an implausible trade rumor

We've never had to assemble the Philadelphia Eagles' roster unless we were doing so on EA's Madden NFL game. Even then, there was always the temptation to cheat by creating superstars with 99-overall ratings and naming those players after ourselves.

The franchise mode offered another intriguing option, turning the salary cap off entirely. As you've probably learned by now, that's only an option in Fantasy football, so every year, there are offseason discussions about how teams might cut costs.

Some say Dallas Goedert's exit is all but certain. That would certainly break the hearts of several handfuls of Eagles fans, but with the 2025 NFL Draft approaching, the rumor mill is churning with another theory.

What if the Birds used A.J. Brown as collateral in an attempt to trade up to land a young star in the making?

Wait! What?

Must read: Notable departures didn't reduce the Eagles' standing in ranking of NFL rosters

Social media is flooded with pranks and discussions involving the Eagles possibly trading A.J. Brown.

As younger Eagles fans, we were often schooled by the O.G.s. There are lessons they taught us about this game we love that have ventured into being 'the laws of football'.

As outdated as some of these are, we'd like to take a moment so that we might share a few. Stop us if any of this sounds familiar:

1. Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.
2. Players can't lose their jobs because of injury.
3. Use the running game to set up the pass.
4. Use the screen pass to neutralize the blitz.
5. A quarterback's best friend is a strong running game.
6. Put the best team on the field possible to give yourselves the best chances to win.

There are so many others, but you get the idea. As you can see, the game has evolved since we were children.

As we've stated, the game has changed some. Players can absolutely lose their jobs because of injury, and these days, some might argue that offense wins games while defense is nothing more than a luxury.

Let's concentrate on number six while we have a moment.

If the Birds wanted to prove they are serious about winning, A.J. Brown almost has to be on the 2025-26 roster, right? Former Eagle and 94 WIP-FM mainstay Ike Reese agrees.

Ike's take isn't the first time, we have heard the A.J. Brown trade theory discussed. Fellow WIP on-air personality Joe Giglio fanned a few flames by stating he'd be open to trading A.J. Brown if it meant the Birds might be able to swoop into the top five for an opportunity to select Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter (pun intended).

The New England Patriots and the fourth overall selection have often been mentioned as the target. Some have drawn parallels to A.J.'s possible reunion with new Pats head coach Mike Vrabel.

In New England, WEEI Afternoons Show host Nick “Fitzy” Stevens reported the Patriots could be close to eventually getting a deal done for the Eagles' star wide receiver. This comes a day after A.J. pranked everyone with a Number 11, Julian Edelman Pats jersey on his social media channels.

Edelman put his recruiting hat on and responded in the comment section:

“All day bro. Feel free to rock 11 when you sign #FoxboroForever,”

We, on the other hand, stand by our earlier statement. We agree with Ike Reese. If Philly wants to put themselves in the best position to win another title, they must assemble the best roster possible. That means A.J. Brown needs to be on said roster.

These conversations aren't new. Something tells us we'll hear a few more. The NFL Draft approaches. We're well aware of Howie Roseman's aggressive nature. We all expect a move, but we aren't interested in an A.J. Brown trade.