Patriots Rumor A.J. Brown trade rumors heat up - Should Patriots get him?

[mgteich]

The Rams had 1 first round pick from 2017 to 2025 yet had 1 losing season and made the playoffs 7 of the 9 years and won a Super Bowl.

LOL

Certainly this must be a typo. Surely, you cannot win without succeeding almost every year with your inexpensive 1st round pick, especially when you are paying a top QB.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I think expectation is win the division. Bills are the main competition and outside of Allen, the roster and coaching are suspect. They also appear to have a tougher schedule than the Pats.
Once you are in the playoffs you always have a shot.

People worry too much about draft position, outside the top 10 the odds of getting a star player go way down
Teams (Chiefs, Pats etc.) can have runs for years drafting at the bottom.

The Rams had 1 first round pick from 2017 to 2025 yet had 1 losing season and made the playoffs 7 of the 9 years and won a Super Bowl.

Great QB and great coach seem to be the key to competing every year. Since 50% of rosters turnover every two years that makes sense.

They traded 2 for Stafford. Obviously QB is different from every other position. (And IMO the only position you can add that is worth two 1st round picks)

They traded 2 for a 24 year old Jalen Ramsey.

They traded 1 for a 24 year old Brandin Cooks.

They just traded 1 for a 25 year old Trent McDuffie.

That's a big difference than trading for a 28 year old AJ Brown with a pick we wouldn't lose until he's possibly no longer playing for us.

 

[Give Kraft A Hand]

Pats aren’t trading for AJ Brown to be an also ran. They’re doing it so they can win a title. Let’s see if that happens.

 

[Uptown]

Allegedly

 

[Raccoonsuit]

If your stance is that you take the proven player over the unproven draft pick, quit being upset we took N'Keal Harry instead of AJ Brown. The only logical conclusion is to be upset they didn't trade that pick for a veteran.

AJ Brown was an unproven draft pick just like every other player. Why draft him?

Excuse I? Aj had a great career at Ole miss and put up better stats than nkeal. There was no buzz for nkeal except for his ASU coach who got in belichicks ear. He also played in a way weaker conference.

If you wanna argue that the pats wouldn't have taken AJ in the 1st round I could buy that but to say he was unproven is false

 

[PatsFan2]

Excuse I? Aj had a great career at Ole miss and put up better stats than nkeal. There was no buzz for nkeal except for his ASU coach who got in belichicks ear. He also played in a way weaker conference.

If you wanna argue that the pats wouldn't have taken AJ in the 1st round I could buy that but to say he was unproven is false

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Excuse I? Aj had a great career at Ole miss and put up better stats than nkeal. There was no buzz for nkeal except for his ASU coach who got in belichicks ear. He also played in a way weaker conference.

If you wanna argue that the pats wouldn't have taken AJ in the 1st round I could buy that but to say he was unproven is false

It has nothing to do with AJ Brown. PatsFan2 has said multiple times you always trade for the proven veteran over an unproven draft pick when given the chance. He doesn't get to argue for trading a future draft pick for Brown using that repeated stance, but then pretend he would have ALWAYS drafted Brown in 2019, even if Julio Jones or Michael Thomas were available for a 1st.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Pats aren’t trading for AJ Brown to be an also ran. They’re doing it so they can win a title. Let’s see if that happens.

I think this is accurate. Last year Vrabel was asked during the Micah Parsons Sweepstakes if the Patriots were in on him, and Vrabel's response was that they weren't at that point in their development. This year Vrabel and the patriots braintrust believes they are in the running for a Lombardi, and they believe that getting Brown could help open up the offense for Maye. I wanted Alec Pierce for the same reason, although they are very different players. There are many on this board who believe the best shot you get is winning on your QB's rookie contract, and although that's not the approach I believe in I can understand why they want to maximize their opportunities before Maye hits his big payday. I don't want them to give up any first round pick for Brown, but if they do I'll give them the benefit of the doubt because I think they have earned that through 2 years of making good roster decisions. To date the only time they have splurged on anything was the Milt Williams decision, and many thought that was a serious overpay, instead he was the key to unlocking their pass rush. If they get Brown I'm hoping he will do the same for their offense. They had a blue collar free agency, focused on making their offense tougher, and seriously improving the blocking for their run game and Maye, this would be an attempt to improve their playmaking, and open up opportunities for Boutte, Doubs, Williams. And the run game.

 

[Bill Lee]

Allegedly

Haven't seen Tom Curran in a while.

Each year he looks more and more like Married With Children's Al Bundy.

Wonder if Tom played for Polk High?

 

[Real fan 02]

Have any of the Patriots beat insiders come out and refuted the 1st round pick+ trade compensation. Seems to have been a lot of silence but maybe I’ve missed something.

2026 NFL draft intel, notes: What Adam Schefter is hearing

How early could Jeremiyah Love be drafted? Will Ty Simpson go in Round 1? Could we still see A.J. Brown traded? Adam Schefter has the latest.

www.espn.com

 

[Raccoonsuit]

2026 NFL draft intel, notes: What Adam Schefter is hearing

How early could Jeremiyah Love be drafted? Will Ty Simpson go in Round 1? Could we still see A.J. Brown traded? Adam Schefter has the latest.

www.espn.com

This doesn't have any thing to do with aj but saw Love in the link above and he signed a record breaking guarantee contract for a rookie!

"The Notre Dame running back, taken third overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, signed his four-year, $53 million rookie contract on Friday. The deal features the most guaranteed money ever paid to a running back in NFL history.
Love's $13.25 million average per year ranks seventh among current running backs."

Then the Hets signed Hall to an extension for 3 years and $47.75 million. Just crazy that a good established RB gets only a little more than a rookie and maybe less if the jets ditch Hall early

 

[PatsFan2]

It has nothing to do with AJ Brown. PatsFan2 has said multiple times you always trade for the proven veteran over an unproven draft pick when given the chance. He doesn't get to argue for trading a future draft pick for Brown using that repeated stance, but then pretend he would have ALWAYS drafted Brown in 2019, even if Julio Jones or Michael Thomas were available for a 1st.

Were those guys ever on the Trading Block?? The point is A.J. was a Better Prospect than Harry.

 

[Real fan 02]

This doesn't have any thing to do with aj but saw Love in the link above and he signed a record breaking guarantee contract for a rookie!

"The Notre Dame running back, taken third overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, signed his four-year, $53 million rookie contract on Friday. The deal features the most guaranteed money ever paid to a running back in NFL history.
Love's $13.25 million average per year ranks seventh among current running backs."

Then the Hets signed Hall to an extension for 3 years and $47.75 million. Just crazy that a good established RB gets only a little more than a rookie and maybe less if the jets ditch Hall early

Great points here. I believe going back to the Sam Bradford contract is when alot if established veterans start making noise about rookie contracts and how Bradford as a rookie was getting 60 million at the time and established veterans were not even seeing 30 million in some contracts.

The Jets all they did was throw band aids at the position with geno Smith they should have went out and traded for say a kyler Murray instead at the QB position he's better than geno Smith is. But yes Breece Hall is a great player and the Jets had to do something to at least keep one of thier good players on the roster aside from Wilson at WR.

 

[Real fan 02]

Were those guys ever on the Trading Block?? The point is A.J. was a Better Prospect than Harry.

 

[KCSVEN]

They traded 2 for Stafford. Obviously QB is different from every other position. (And IMO the only position you can add that is worth two 1st round picks)

They traded 2 for a 24 year old Jalen Ramsey.

They traded 1 for a 24 year old Brandin Cooks.

They just traded 1 for a 25 year old Trent McDuffie.

That's a big difference than trading for a 28 year old AJ Brown with a pick we wouldn't lose until he's possibly no longer playing for us.

Cooks played 2 years and Ramsey 3.5, you can get 3 similar years from Brown, age doesn’t matter if you don’t sign them past a few years.
For this discussion seems more important with the other teams did with their draft picks
Chaisson, Etienne for Jags meh, no difference maker

Lions did better but better than keeping Stafford? I guess it depends on if you think of Goff but Stafford won SB, Lions have not. Still not a clear win loss like Jags trade.
For fact, Stafford was 33 before he played a down for the Rams kind of works against your argument though.

Jahmyr Gibbs (RB), Sam LaPorta (TE), Jameson Williams (WR), and Brodric Martin (DT).

Clemson DT taken by Chiefs, I’d bet on Mcduffee

Seems your issue is trading first for Brown particularly. Sounds like there might be conditions to make it first only if he plays well but either way at least I agree you can argue that.
However the main point is that keeping first round picks vs trading for established top players is not something that’s solidly backed up by history. Like all trades some win some lose but first round picks in the bottom 10 are usually more valuable trading them.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Were those guys ever on the Trading Block?? The point is A.J. was a Better Prospect than Harry.

If they were, it was never reported. Was Brian Thomas ever truly on the trading block this year, or was it all speculation? That didn't stop you from saying we should pounce.

The simple truth is if it was confirmed Thomas or Jones were available for a 1st round pick in 2019, you absolutely wouldn't have been here saying we should pass on them because you really like that WR from Ole Miss.

And at the end of the day, it's a 1st round pick. You offer one of those to enough teams, somebody is going to trade you someone. It doesn't mean they're the very best at their position, just like how Brown isn’t exactly the apex at WR currently. And it won't always be a better decision than keeping the draft pick.

But let's play it out. If we had traded for Jones or Michael Thomas in 2019, maybe we're able to make one more Super Bowl run. After that, we still have no WRs. How is that better for the team going forward?

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Cooks played 2 years and Ramsey 3.5, you can get 3 similar years from Brown, age doesn’t matter if you don’t sign them past a few years.
For this discussion seems more important with the other teams did with their draft picks
Chaisson, Etienne for Jags meh, no difference maker

Lions did better but better than keeping Stafford? I guess it depends on if you think of Goff but Stafford won SB, Lions have not. Still not a clear win loss like Jags trade.
For fact, Stafford was 33 before he played a down for the Rams kind of works against your argument though.

Jahmyr Gibbs (RB), Sam LaPorta (TE), Jameson Williams (WR), and Brodric Martin (DT).

Clemson DT taken by Chiefs, I’d bet on Mcduffee

Seems your issue is trading first for Brown particularly. Sounds like there might be conditions to make it first only if he plays well but either way at least I agree you can argue that.
However the main point is that keeping first round picks vs trading for established top players is not something that’s solidly backed up by history. Like all trades some win some lose but first round picks in the bottom 10 are usually more valuable trading them.

But the Patriots have a very good recent track record wirh 1st round picks, so that matters to me more than who the Jaguars drafted. (And despite some clear misses, the Pats have a pretty good track record overall going back to the dynasty years as some have pointed out)

And to be fair, the Rams ended up trading Cooks with a 4th for a 2nd round pick, and they traded Ramsey for a 3rd round pick and TE Hunter Long. So they got return value for those guys. What would we get for Brown when he's 30, especially if the knee becomes a problem?

As for Stafford, yes he was 33, but I did mention QB is a very different position from everything else, and the only one IMO worth even considering trading multiple 1st round picks for.

 

[Ross12]

Allegedly

2028 first for Brown + a 2027 third would be great for both teams

 

[Raccoonsuit]

Great points here. I believe going back to the Sam Bradford contract is when alot if established veterans start making noise about rookie contracts and how Bradford as a rookie was getting 60 million at the time and established veterans were not even seeing 30 million in some contracts.

The Jets all they did was throw band aids at the position with geno Smith they should have went out and traded for say a kyler Murray instead at the QB position he's better than geno Smith is. But yes Breece Hall is a great player and the Jets had to do something to at least keep one of thier good players on the roster aside from Wilson at WR.

****ing Bradford man. I would get so angry everytime he signed a ridiculous extension. He wasn't a bum by any means but never lived up to the hype in the slightest and he was always laughing or had that **** eating grin on his face.

Why are you so happy your teams suck? You look foolish and unserious.

When kirk cousin started getting crazy contracts I didn't mind cause he was a 3rd round pick.

You're absolutely right that Bradford changed the rookie contracts and that's why they brought in the rookie wage scale. Plus Jamarcus was a colossal **** up in terms of guaranteed money.

It was around the same time the NBA had their amnesty rule that let GMs take 1 contract off the books cause they had so many horrible deals in place.

But mostly **** sam bradford

 

[KCSVEN]

But the Patriots have a very good recent track record wirh 1st round picks, so that matters to me more than who the Jaguars drafted. (And despite some clear misses, the Pats have a pretty good track record overall going back to the dynasty years as some have pointed out)

And to be fair, the Rams ended up trading Cooks with a 4th for a 2nd round pick, and they traded Ramsey for a 3rd round pick and TE Hunter Long. So they got return value for those guys. What would we get for Brown when he's 30, especially if the knee becomes a problem?

As for Stafford, yes he was 33, but I did mention QB is a very different position from everything else, and the only one IMO worth even considering trading multiple 1st round picks for.

I don't think there is a definitive answer, it can work either way.
If it is a 2028 first that equated to a 2027 2nd. If it is conditional first based on Brown playing time or success also that would make a big difference.
The biggest benefit for keeping first round picks is the contract, the negative is that past the top 10 it's a 50-50 shot whether the pick is going to be more than a JAG.
I personally would be hesitant at any 1st straight up, prefer a 2nd for Brown, or a 2nd and a 4th or a 2nd and Boutte but a 2nd that can become a 1st with two 1,000 yard seasons or starting 85% of games over 2 years I could be ok with.