The New England Patriots are entering the offseason with a clear need: a true No. 1 wide receiver. And if the Philadelphia Eagles are indeed open to moving A.J.
Brown, New England should be at the front of the line. But they won’t be alone.
Brown is the kind of player who instantly shifts the dynamic of any offense he joins, and plenty of teams will be dialing up Philly if he becomes available.
One intriguing proposal making the rounds doesn’t send Brown to Foxborough, though-it sends him to Denver. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently laid out a hypothetical trade that would land Brown in a Broncos uniform. In the scenario, the Eagles would send Brown and a 2026 fifth-round pick to Denver in exchange for cornerback Riley Moss, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Let’s unpack that.
From Denver’s side, the move makes sense on multiple fronts. The Broncos are deep at cornerback, with Patrick Surtain II locked in as one of the league’s premier shutdown corners.
Ja’Quan McMillian has been a standout in the slot, and the team used a 2025 first-rounder to grab Jahdae Barron out of Texas. Barron didn’t see much action in his rookie season-just 334 snaps-but the Broncos clearly see him as part of their future.
Trading Moss now, before he hits free agency, would clear a path for Barron and secure some draft capital in return.
But the real headline here is what Brown would bring to Denver’s offense.
Pairing A.J. Brown with rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran play-caller Sean Payton could be a game-changer.
Nix, still developing his deep-ball consistency, would benefit immensely from Brown’s physicality, elite catch radius, and ability to win in contested situations. Brown is the kind of receiver who can turn 50-50 balls into 70-30s, and that’s exactly the kind of safety net a young quarterback needs.
Payton, of course, has a track record of maximizing big-bodied receivers. Think Marques Colston.
Think Michael Thomas. Brown fits that mold, but with even more explosiveness after the catch.
He’s the type of weapon who doesn’t just move the chains-he flips the field.
Now, if you’re in New England, this hypothetical stings a little. The Patriots were right there with Denver at the top of the AFC this past season, squaring off in the conference title game. Watching a potential difference-maker like Brown head to a direct rival would be a tough pill to swallow-especially when he could’ve filled such a glaring need in Foxborough.
For Denver, though, this kind of move could be the missing piece. They’ve got the defense.
They’ve got a promising young quarterback. Add a true alpha wideout like A.J.
Brown, and suddenly, a Super Bowl run doesn’t feel far-fetched.
Of course, this is all just a proposal for now. But if the Eagles do decide to shop Brown, expect the phone lines to light up. And if the Patriots are serious about retooling their offense, they’ll need to be one of the first to call.