Devonta Smith Reacts as Eagles Trade A.J. Brown to Patriots
devonta smith now sits in a different Eagles receiver room after Philadelphia traded A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. The move strips away one of the top names on the roster and pushes more attention onto the depth chart around Smith and Darius Cooper.
Philadelphia Eagles Receiver Room
Brown’s departure is the biggest change, but the ripples reach beyond him. Cooper, who went undrafted in 2025 and still made the Eagles’ 53-man roster that season, had already seen his outlook tightened by the additions around him.
Philadelphia signed veteran Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, traded for former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, and then used the 2026 NFL Draft to take Makai Lemon in the first round. That left Cooper looking at three new wide receivers in the room before A.J. Brown was moved out.
Darius Cooper’s Opening
Cooper has already beaten one roster line. He arrived as an undrafted player in 2025, then earned a place on the 53-man roster and became a fan favorite.
The trade changes the board again. With Brown gone, the Eagles have created a clearer path for Cooper to keep his spot in a receiver group that had been crowded by offseason additions and a first-round pick.
Howie Roseman’s decision to add Lemon in the first round made the room harder to read before Brown was dealt. Now the Eagles are left sorting a depth chart that no longer has the same top-end shape, and Cooper is one of the players most directly affected by that shift.
Howie Roseman’s New Shape
Philadelphia did not move Brown for a minor tweak. The trade to New England changes the way the Eagles can line up at receiver, and it gives Cooper a better chance to stay in the mix after a summer that had pushed him toward the edge.
For Smith, the result is a new set of responsibilities in a room that now has to absorb Brown’s exit, Wicks and Hollywood Brown as recent additions, and Lemon as the 2026 first-round arrival. The Eagles’ receiver picture is less settled than it was before the deal, and Cooper is suddenly closer to the middle of it.
