Drake, AJB struggle with downfield connection

Boutte, according to Patriots beat writers and coaches, has functioned as Drake Maye’s favorite target, especially downfield, while A.J. Brown struggles to connect with Maye while dealing with consistent coverage from all-pro CB Christian Gonzalez. “If [Boutte] keeps this up, he’s either increasing his value on the trade market or playing his way into a meaningful role with the Pats,” Graff said. Boutte had been rumored as a trade candidate after the Patriots acquired Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason. He should be drafted in all 12-team fantasy formats in the coming weeks.

Speaking with the media on Monday, Vrabel said he thinks “a lot of things get fabricated, and people tell stories,” when asked about Brown’s knee. Patriots executive VP of player personnel Elliot Wolf said last month that Brown has managed a degenerative knee condition in one of his knees since he first entered the league, and he has appeared in 15 or more games in three of his last four seasons. Vrabel acknowledged that Brown won’t do “every single thing” in camp/practice, but the team doesn’t appear overly concerned about the recently acquired receiver. Brown has posted four straight 1,000-yard campaigns and has scored seven or more touchdowns in each of those seasons. He profiles as a fringe WR1/WR2 for fantasy purposes in his first season with Drake Maye.

Maye and Brown have already begun generating highlight plays together against Patriots defenders. Coaches and players from both sides of the ball are highly complimentary of the new receiver, and Brown has taken on a leadership role within the offense. It sounds like things are coming together for Brown and the Patriots. Treat him as a WR2 with upside.

Over the course of his career, Brown has openly discussed the maintenance his knees require. He underwent cleanup procedures in both knees in 2021. Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf recently acknowledged that Brown has managed a degenerative knee condition in one of his knees since entering the league in 2019. Despite receiving treatment regularly, Brown has been a 1,000-yard receiver in six of his seven NFL seasons. We expect him to continue playing at a high level, but he could fall into the WR1/2 range this summer. Regardless, he is the Patriots’ clear-cut WR1.

McLane added that he thinks that’s why Brown’s value on the market wasn’t “what you thought it would be.” Brown held his press conference with the Patriots today and said “I know this isn’t heaven. But it’s close to it.” We don’t think this report holds any real impact on Brown’s 2026 status, but it’s worth considering for dynasty leaguers and keeper leagues as Brown enters his age-29 season.

The Eagles are also receiving a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Patriots in exchange for Brown. After spending months waiting for this trade to become official, the two sides finalized things shortly after the post-June 1 deadline took effect on Monday, sending Brown to the Patriots and giving Drake Maye an elite WR1 to pair with Romeo Doubs and company. Brown grew increasingly frustrated with his role in Philly’s run-heavy offense last season, which made him a likely trade candidate this offseason if the team could find a suitor. With Stefon Diggs no longer in Foxborough and Maye ascending the ranks of NFL quarterbacks, pairing Brown with Maye for the foreseeable future seemed like a no-brainer for the Patriots, who were able to avoid dealing their 2027 first-round pick. Brown will turn 29 this offseason, but has totaled 1,000-plus yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles, helping them to their second Super Bowl title in 2024. He’ll profile as a fringe WR1/WR2 in fantasy leagues and should see a nice increase in targets next season.

We will all breathe a collective sigh of relief when this trade is completed. Schultz said the two sides have “had deep discussions” on a potential trade, and also confirmed previous reports from The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane that the deal would include a 2028 first-round pick going back to the Eagles. It truly feels like only a matter of time before this deal gets done, as we all continue to wait for the post-June 1 deadline to officially take effect. It wouldn’t be surprising if this deal became official before the end of the day.

In a post on X, McLane says, “from what I understand,” the return for Brown is “straight up a 2028 first-round draft pick.” We’ll see if that’s the case if/when a deal between the Eagles and Patriots eventually gets done, but that would be a steep drop from the compensation the star receiver was expected to generate. It’s been reported that the Patriots are unwilling to deal a first-round pick for Brown, so it’s possible this is how the two sides agreed to a deal for the Eagles to move on from the disgruntled receiver. If a deal does happen, we wouldn’t expect it to come before 4:01 PM EST, which is when it would officially become more financially feasible for the Eagles as a post-June 1 deal. Brown caught 78 passes for 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns last season in a down year, and would immediately slot in as the Patriots’ top receiving option if he’s dealt.

The two sides are currently “working on” trade terms. The Patriots hope to get the deal done shortly after the league calendar rolls over at 4:01 pm Eastern tomorrow, at which time, the Eagles can spread out Brown’s salary cap over two seasons instead of one. Per Fowler, the Patriots “have not been overly crazy” about meeting the Eagles’ first-round-pick asking price. He wonders if the Eagles would be comfortable accepting a conditional pick for Brown, or if they might be willing to send a pick of their own to New England. Ending this saga as quickly as possible would likely be best for all involved, because it ends the storyline for the Eagles and allows Brown to begin studying his new playbook before training camp.

Rapoport notes that the Eagles still want a first-round pick for Brown while the Pats haven’t budged in that regard. He added that the trade discussions could “drag on for the foreseeable future.” Brown’s relationships with the team and his quarterback seem to be broken beyond repair, and they already drafted his replacement in Makai Lemon. The Eagles shouldn’t have much leverage in the situation, but the Pats are also in desperate need of a true No. 1 receiver. The deal was initially expected to be made official on June 1st, when the cap hit for Philly becomes more manageable. Now it looks like things could drag on toward training camp.