The Philadelphia Eagles might be facing some tough decisions during the 2026 NFL Draft, but one easy prediction is that general manager Howie Roseman will be wheeling and dealing on the phones.
Roseman has been notorious for making trades every draft to either move up or down, as last season was a perfect example of him moving up one spot with the Kansas City Chiefs to go get linebacker Jihaad Campbell in the first round. Bleacher Report writer Brent Sobleski shared multiple predictions of what will happen in the NFL Draft as he thinks the New England Patriots will trade a first-round pick to the Eagles to go get wide receiver A.J. Brown.
"Philadelphia could be patient to preserve as much financial flexibility as possible. But it will be difficult for general manager Howie Roseman to forgo a first-round pick this year when Brown's value can diminish by waiting, because the Eagles will lose leverage as time goes on. With essentially one serious suitor, that team knows the price only rises if it must absorb a significant portion of Brown's contract and falls if it does not."
Would Howie Roseman make a trade with the Patriots involving A.J. Brown then?
This trade narrative has been pushed all offseason, as everyone knows Brown is not happy after four years in Philadelphia. While he has made multiple Pro Bowls for his teams, over the last two years, his numbers have dropped, and he's been receiving fewer targets with one of the NFL's worst passing attacks in terms of yards. That's not a reflection on the play of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The problem is that Roseman is not going to give Brown up for nothing, as he wants a first and second-round pick for Brown. There is a financial aspect to this that makes it hard for Philly to trade before June 1, as it will be a $20 million hit against the cap and a dead cap worth over $40 million. If the Eagles wait until after that, they will have a deal cap of about $20 million and would actually save $7 million on the cap.
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If the Patriots really want him before the draft, they'd better be ready to cough up a lot of money. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense for the Eagles to do that. Instead, collect the draft picks for a deeper 2027 class and wait until after June 1 to get something done.