Eagles reportedly used one franchise to bait another into making its final pitch for A.J. Brown.
Trade discussions around the Philadelphia Eagles and A.J. Brown have generated plenty of attention. We can certainly thank The Athletic’s senior NFL insider, Dianna Russini, for her part in keeping that rumor mill churning. According to her recent reports, the landscape now appears to include a team we hadn’t previously mentioned.
Add the Los Angeles Rams to the mix, as they and the New England Patriots maintain a strong interest in Philadelphia’s star wide receiver. These two franchises have emerged as expressing the most interest in acquiring Brown. That alone would have been noteworthy, but additional reporting from Benjamin Allbright suggests there may have been an element of gamesmanship involved in the process.
Did the Eagles float the Rams’ name to the Patriots to influence New England’s decision?
Allbright has indicated that he believes the Eagles may have floated the Rams’ interest, dangling a proverbial carrot perhaps, to encourage their primary suitor, the Patriots, to ‘bite’ and make an offer.
The report, as you can see, doesn’t mention the Birds baiting New England to increase the terms of its final offer. You have to admit, however, that this is interesting.
If the reporting is accurate, that approach would reflect the type of calculated leverage teams aim to create during high-stakes negotiations. In the NFL, roster-building is often as much about timing and perception as it is about talent. Suggesting a competing interest can shift the leverage in a trade conversation.
For Philadelphia, moving a player of Brown’s caliber would never be simple. He is one of the league’s most dynamic wide receivers. He’s a central figure in Philadelphia’s offensive identity. Any potential deal involving him would inevitably draw strong reactions, especially given how important he has been to the team’s recent success.
From a fan perspective, imagining Brown landing with an NFC contender (Los Angeles) is a far more unsettling idea than it would be to see him land in the AFC. Why would Philadelphia give one of its biggest obstacles to reaching a Super Bowl more ammunition to beat them?
No one wants to watch one of the team’s best offensive weapons strengthen a club that could stand in the way of another championship run. For that reason, we’d feel a lot better if the Patriots turned out to be the winners in this.
Whether this reported strategy ultimately alters negotiations remains to be seen. Maybe it simply reflected standard front-office tactics. Then again, it could underscore how complex trade talks can become when elite talent is involved.
In today’s NFL, leverage matters. It matters in contract negotiations, trades, and everything else, and sometimes, simply mentioning another suitor can change an entire conversation.