The New England Patriots made a brilliant move by adding wide receiver Stefon Diggs last offseason, who tallied 85 catches for while helping the team make it all the way to the Super Bowl. But after salary cap constraints demanded the franchise release him in recent days, the Patriots are back to the drawing board and looking to strike gold for star quarterback Drake Maye two years in a row.
New England inked Diggs to a three-year contract worth $63.5 million last March, which it cut off after one campaign. This time around, the Patriots have been linked to Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown, who most recently signed a three-year extension of his own worth $96 million and whom New England will have to trade for in order to acquire.
But Brown is not going to be cheap.
Read More: Patriots Among 4 Teams Interested in Packers’ Romeo Doubs: Report
“The Philadelphia Eagles are worth watching for reasons beyond A.J. Brown,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on Sunday, March 8. “Philly is asking for a steep price for Brown — one executive said it wants a first- and second-round pick for him. Perhaps that changes. New England is in the mix.”
The Patriots have upwards of $44 million to spend in free agency as of Sunday, a number that could increase with further cuts or contract restructures in the days leading up to the official start of NFL free agency on March 11. The negotiation period, however, begins on Monday, which is when deals actually begin getting done.
Absorbing Brown’s contract shouldn’t be a problem, particularly given it is the team’s top offseason need in the estimation of several league analysts. New England should be able to do that and also add an edge-rusher on defense, which is another area where the franchise can meaningfully improve this offseason.
Giving up a first-rounder and a second-rounder in any trade for any player hurts any team, to be sure. But as the AFC champions and Super Bowl runners-up, the Patriots own the No. 31 pick in Round 1 and the 63rd pick in Round 2. If New England actually meets the Eagles’ reported asking price, the team may try to spread the draft compensation out and give over a second-round pick in 2027, though the only way it will be lower than the Patriots’ Round 2 selection this year is if the team wins it all in 2026.
Read More: Tom Brady Refused to Trade Maxx Crosby to 1 Team: Report
