Jordan Mailata Opens Patriots Deal for A.J. Brown

jordan mailata now headlines a trade that sends A.J. Brown from the Eagles to the Patriots, pending a physical. New England is getting a three-time Pro Bowl receiver, and Philadelphia is getting a 2028 first-round pick plus a 2027 fifth-rounder.

Brown Heads to New England

Brown gives Drake Maye the clear No. 1 receiver New England has lacked. For a quarterback still building his profile, that is the biggest on-field change in the deal.

The move also closes the book on a Philadelphia tenure that produced a Super Bowl and one of the franchise’s top receiving seasons. Brown arrived in 2022 after the Eagles sent first- and third-round picks to Tennessee, then set the team single-season receiving record with 1,496 yards.

Howie Roseman’s Return

Philadelphia is taking back premium draft value after spending it to get Brown in the first place. Howie Roseman gave up first- and third-round picks in 2022, then later handed Brown a three-year, $96 million extension that ran through 2029.

The timing also shapes the money. Waiting until after June 1 lets Philadelphia split the $43.45 million dead-money hit over the next two seasons, instead of taking it all at once. That is the financial tradeoff behind a deal that keeps Brown moving and keeps the Eagles from absorbing the full cap pain immediately.

DeVonta Smith Takes Over

Brown’s departure pushes DeVonta Smith into the presumptive No. 1 role in Philadelphia. Smith has already posted three 1,000-yard campaigns over the past four seasons, so the target distribution shifts to a player who has done it before.

The Eagles are moving on from a receiver who delivered elite production and some public drama with the coaching staff, while the Patriots land a proven target for Maye. The physical still has to clear, but the framework is set: New England gets the receiver, and Philadelphia gets the draft pick and the financial relief that comes with waiting until June 1.