The Philadelphia Eagles have moved on from A.J. Brown after trading him away to the New England Patriots, meaning that the next man up at WR1 is the guy fans have wanted in that role for a long time: DeVonta Smith.
Smith was a former first-round pick of the Eagles, who led the team in receiving in his rookie season in 2021 until Brown arrived and held that title from 2022 through 2024. Last year was the first time Brown did not lead the Eagles in receiving over his four years, as Smith beat him by five yards.
After the trade was complete, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spent some time with the media on a Zoom meeting where he discussed the reasoning behind it. Roseman also commented on the kind of player Smith is and will be.
“A really, really, really good player, and excited for him to continue to improve and shine as a player," Roseman said via The Athletic's Zach Berman.
Howie Roseman acknowledges how good DeVonta Smith is as a player
Eagles fans don't need any convincing, as they have seen Smith play well for them over the last five years. In three seasons in that span, he has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, but has never been selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro.
Many believe the trend will end now that Brown is gone and Smith is the team's number one receiver. He is an easy choice to be predicted as the leading receiver on the Eagles, as he and Jalen Hurts have really good chemistry with each other and are close on and off the field.
All offseason, everyone has been talking about how Smith is a perfect fit for new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and how he's going to thrive off the scheme. Smith can do it all, from being a precise route runner to having reliable hands on one-on-one coverage on the outside.
Read more: 3 winners (and 2 losers) from Eagles' inevitable A.J. Brown trade
It's clear as day that Smith has been ready to be a number one receiver from the moment he walked through the Eagles' facilities in 2021. Brown is no longer here to hold him back from what is his destiny.
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