What a statement by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2026 NFL Draft as their stunning trade that led to the selection of USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.
Everyone in Philly pretty much knew at that point why Lemon was selected: he's replacing A.J. Brown once the Eagles trade him after June 1. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was asked about Brown in his press conference after the Lemon selection, as the same song was being sung by Roseman about Brown's status.
"A.J. is a member of the Eagles," Roseman said via The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane. "We don't have any trades that have been made, or that are done. And I think for us, we're taking this one day at a time. We're going to look to improve the team tomorrow, and we'll continue to address anything that we have to with our roster, not only through this draft weekend, but we'll continue to look for ways to improve the team throughout the offseason, and as we get into training camp."
Howie Roseman once again responds to A.J. Brown question after Eagles first-round pick
At this point, it's safe to assume that Brown is out the door as the Eagles are clearly preparing for life without him. Lemon is a long-term solution at receiver, as he can fill in at the slot position with DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks on the outside.
The Eagles also have Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Elijah Moore, who can help with depth at receiver and potentially get playing time early on over Lemon. No matter who is there, Lemon is the guy who will be directly tied to A.J. Brown as the clear-cut replacement.
Brown will have to wait until June 2, as the Eagles will take less of a dead cap hit and save $7 million in cap space. The most likely trade partner is the New England Patriots, given Brown's ties to Mike Vrabel from their time with the Tennessee Titans.
Read more: Makai Lemon's story made Eagles' trade up for him that much sweeter with close call
A lot can still happen over the next month or so, but for now, it's safe to just plan for Brown not to be in an Eagles uniform in 2026.
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