March 01, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Are the Eagles intentionally setting a price tag too high for A.J. Brown to avoid trading him?
One way to show you're not truly interested in trading away a player unless you're getting blown away by an offer is by setting an absurdly high asking price.
That's apparently what Eagles Executive Vice President of Football Operations Howie Roseman has been doing throughout the week in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, where team decision-makers have frequent back-room meetings every night in and around downtown Indy with free agency set to begin next Monday.
Roseman has consistently said he's not actively looking to trade Brown, a three-time Pro Bowl wideout who has frequently expressed – in words and body language – his dissatisfaction with the Eagles' passing offense and his role within it, leading other teams to reach out and inquire about his availability.
The Eagles never moved him, but Brown has been at the center of trade reports since the end of the season, with many teams linked to him.
Roseman has also said it's his job to listen to any and all offers that come his way, putting the league on notice that the Eagles are open for business but not just giving away Brown or anyone else.
Two ESPN NFL Insiders, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, spent the week in Indianapolis and co-authored an expansive story Sunday detailing all the buzz they've heard during their time at the Combine.
On Brown, Graziano wrote that teams have contacted the Eagles to inquire about trading for Brown but that "Philly's asking price remains too high." Here's the whole paragraph:
Teams have contacted the Eagles about a potential Brown trade, but word is that Philly's asking price remains too high. This lines up with what I heard about the Eagles' stance: They'd be open to the right offer, but it would have to be a really good one. They don't want to just get rid of Brown or need him off the team for any chemistry reasons.
Fowler also wrote that some teams he spoke to believed a trade involving a second-round pick for Brown would be proper value but Fowler added that he's "not sure that gets it done for Eagles GM Howie Roseman."
Fowler also wrote that the buzz still isn't dissipating despite the high asking price. Graziano agreed, ending his writeup that "it sounds like they'd have to be blown away" to move Brown, finishing with this line:
"If you're not ready to talk about at least your first-round pick, I don't think that conversation is getting very far at the moment."
The Eagles in January hired a new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, a former NFL journeyman backup quarterback and novice play-caller who comes from an entirely different offensive philosophy and coaching tree than head coach Nick Sirianni's.
Sirianni said recently in a meeting with Philly media that Mannion emerged as "the right guy" despite just two years of NFL coaching experience after explaining his offensive concepts and vision for the Eagles in two interviews.
Mannion is expected to incorporate elements of the modern West Coast offense into the playbook, including outside zone runs, under center formations, frequent motion and play action.
"When we talked to Sean and talked about his system, his vision for AJ was a huge part of that," Roseman told Florio, around the 5:00 mark of this video.
Apparently, Mannion wasn't the only candidate under the impression that Brown would be around in 2026.
In the same ESPN Combine buzz story, Fowler wrote that others who interviewed to replace fired OC Kevin Patullo were under the impression "that Brown was part of the plan," which could lead Roseman to try to acquire another wideout if he's willing to trade Brown.
During the Eagles' offensive coordinator search, some candidates got the impression that Brown was part of the plan. That's why some around the league believe Roseman could target a veteran receiver as part of any trade package -- say, if New Orleans can't reach a deal with Chris Olave in New Orleans, or if Denver wants to entertain a Brown-Courtland Sutton swap.
As for other Eagles buzz-worthy mentions from the Combine buzz story, Fowler listed Eagles free-agent linebacker Nakobe Dean as "someone to watch" for the Dallas Cowboys, who pried away former Eagles defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Christian Parker to be their new defensive coordinator. Dean is set to be an unrestricted free agent.
We'll have more on Eagles in-house free agents and predicting their 2026 destinations on Monday.
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