Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has made it loud and clear that he has no intention whatsoever of trading A.J. Brown. Talking at the annual meetings in Arizona, he essentially urged the media to stop asking him about Brown's trade situation.
That said, we've seen how quickly things can change in this business, and trade talks could pick up after June 1, when his cap hit drops from a negative $20 million to a $7 million cap relief, per Over The Cap. That's why signing Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown may save this team's season.
While not the biggest name in free agency, and even though he's coming off a disappointing tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, spending $5 million to get him for one year might be a catalyst for Sean Mannion's passing game.
The Eagles Did Well with Marquise Brown Signing
It's safe to say that Brown hasn't lived up to his big-play specialist reputation from college, and he may never do so at this point in his career. That said, he's still a reliable secondary pass catcher. The Eagles will lean heavily on DeVonta Smith if they trade A.J. Brown anyway, so having the former Oklahoma Sooners standout there gives them a solid insurance policy for a true WR2.
Brown's 49 receptions on 74 targets for 587 yards weren't that impressive, but he did have a 10.2 percent TD percentage with five scores for the Chiefs last season. He's a short-route specialist, and his career 4.1 yards after the catch can help the offense keep the chains in motion.
As much as the Eagles would love to appease A.J. Brown and make sure he stays in the City of Brotherly Love, he might make life quite uncomfortable in Philadelphia if he doesn't get traded. Unless the Eagles get someone like Chris Bell, Denzel Boston, or Omar Cooper Jr., moving Brown would leave Smith as the only clear-cut, reliable pass catcher in Philadelphia. Signing Hollywood Brown to a short-term, low-cost deal only gives them a known commodity as insurance.
The Eagles need to get back on track after a disappointing campaign that featured Kevin Patullo calling the shots on offense. The best way to establish the run again will be to have a half-decent passing game, forcing opposing defenses to stay honest and not focus solely on stopping Saquon Barkley.
Marquise Brown isn't going to go off every week or finish the season with 1,200 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, but he's going to just enough to help the offense stay on the field and drive attention away from Smith. And, if the Eagles somehow manage to keep A.J. Brown, and he plays nice in the locker room and on the sidelines, which looks like a big 'if' right now, well, the more, the merrier.