There is a lot of drama surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles, and Vegas is starting to take note of a potential A.J. Brown trade. After starting the season with a 10-1 record, the Eagles collapsed down the stretch, losing 5 of their final six regular season games before suffering a humiliating defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card game.
Throughout their fall from grace, wide receiver A.J. Brown was one of the most vocally frustrated players within the organization. Speaking out during multiple interviews, it’s clear that Brown isn’t happy with the state of the team and could request a trade. These odds become even more likely if head coach Nick Sirianni comes back for another season.
According to Bookies.com, the following seven teams have the best odds of acquiring A.J. Brown if a trade comes to fruition.
Houston Texans (+400)
Indianapolis Colts (+450)
Cincinnati Bengals (+475)
The Field (+500)
Kansas City Chiefs (+575)
Arizona Cardinals (+600)
New England Patriots (+850)
Chicago Bears (+1200)
Betting Odds List Possible A.J. Brown Trade Destinations
Most of the teams on this list make sense, but the Cincinnati Bengals are an interesting choice. The team currently has plenty of cap space, but Tee Higgins is about to be a free agent and Ja’Marr Chase is going to require an extension sooner rather than later. Perhaps Vegas believes that the Bengals could use the franchise tag to keep Higgins in town and then trade him for A.J. Brown. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense to have Higgins walk only to give up a first-round pick for Brown’s services.
Aside from that, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans are the most fun fits. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the game, but he has struggled (by his standards) with Travis Kelce slowing down and no other elite options. Pairing A.J. Brown with Rashee Rice and Kelce should make the Chiefs offense the class of the NFL once again. The Texans, meanwhile, have a phenomenal young quarterback in C.J. Stroud and a cast of young playmakers. Adding a talented veteran like A.J. Brown via trade could make them Super Bowl favorites in 2024.
Of course, it’s worth noting that there is a lot of uncertainty here. As of this posting, “the field” has the fourth-best odds of getting A.J. Brown in a trade, which shows that just about every team in the league stands a chance at him. Of the unnamed teams, these three feel the most likely.
The Field
Baltimore Ravens
After struggling to find starting-caliber wide receivers for years on end, the Ravens finally struck gold with Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham. Lamar Jackson responded to this by putting up an MVP-caliber season. Wide receivers matter in today’s NFL, and there aren’t many better than A.J. Brown. With Beckham set to hit free agency and not exactly the ripest fruit on the shelf, the Ravens could consider an A.J. Brown trade. Combining Brown with Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews would give the Ravens all the ammunition they could need to keep going on deep postseason runs for the foreseeable future.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars spent three years getting an up close and personal view of what A.J. Brown can do to an opposing defense. Now, they have a chance to pair him with a great quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence was historically unlucky last year, and a stronger supporting cast will lead to more consistent results. The Calvin Ridley experiment did not work out, so Jacksonville might as well trade for Brown, as he’s the closest thing to a sure thing out there.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have no salary cap space, but they always find a way to clear money and get the players they want to get. Head coach Dennis Allen will be back in 2024, but he’ll need to make the playoffs if he wants to keep his job beyond that. Because of this, he should be willing to trade for A.J. Brown if it means keeping his job. Chris Olave is great, but Michael Thomas isn’t the player he used to be and Rashid Shaheed is better off as a depth player. Derek Carr is exactly as good as his supporting cast, so New Orleans should work on improving Carr’s surroundings over the next few months.
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta – USA Today Sports
