Patriots handed perfect fallback plan if AJ Brown trade falls through

The Patriots have been viewed as frontrunners to acquire wide receiver AJ Brown after it became clear the Eagles were willing to trade him. The expectation is that a deal is close, with an unofficial agreement assumed between the teams. A worst-case outcome is possible if the Eagles change their minds or receive a better offer, leaving the Patriots without Brown and forcing a wait until the 2027 offseason to improve their receiving corps. If Brown does not happen, the Patriots are shifting attention to George Pickens, who has been connected to the team as an alternative. Pickens has been less prominent after Dallas tagged him, but there is limited optimism he stays beyond 2026, with indications he will reach free agency next year.

"All offseason long, as soon as it was made clear that the Eagles were willing to trade wide receiver AJ Brown, the Patriots have been the frontrunners to get a deal done to finally get the high-caliber playmaker on the roster. That remains the case just a few weeks before a trade is expected to be completed, and the assumption is that an unofficial agreement has been made between the two teams."

"But what if that's not what happens? What if the worst-case scenario happens, and what essentially looked like a done deal ends up falling apart? The Eagles could ultimately change their minds, or they could receive a better offer from another team, leaving the Patriots with nothing. It would be an absolute nightmare, and they'd likely have to wait until the 2027 offseason to upgrade their receiving corps."

"And while that's far from ideal, they just got word on who their top target should be: George Pickens. If the Patriots fail to trade for AJ Brown, it's clear who they should shift their focus to. The current Cowboys receiver has been connected to the Patriots throughout the offseason, mostly as an alternative to Brown if the Eagles decide they want to keep him around for another season."

"Because the conversation has shifted to Brown joining the Patriots after June 1, Pickens has been put on the back burner, especially after Dallas franchise tagged him earlier this offseason. But there isn't much optimism that he will play for the Cowboys beyond the 2026 season, with the latest intel from NFL insider James Palmer suggesting that is the truth, and Pickens will head to free agency next year. And in that case, the Patriots have the perfect fallback plan if Brown isn't traded."

Read at Musket Fire