A.J. Brown trade nugget reveals Patriots exec Eliot Wolf stood firm
· Yahoo Sports
The New England Patriots' pursuit of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A. J. Brown was one of the top storylines throughout the offseason. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer offered some deeper insight into how the deal came together.
Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke at different points about what it could potentially take to get a deal done. The Patriots were willing to part with a first-round pick, but Wolf wasn't comfortable with dealing both a first-rounder and a second-rounder for the 28-year-old receiver.
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Brown is an elite-level talent and former three-time All-Pro receiver, but there were also questions about his health, particularly with a knee issue that had the Los Angeles Rams pumping the brakes on previous interest.
Breer wrote:
"Wolf had told Roseman, at one point, “If you get a 1 and a 2, go ahead and do it.” But the Patriots never lost interest, with a dozen people who were with Vrabel in Tennessee vouching for Brown, and character crosschecks Pats people were doing with folks who’d been with Brown in Philly checked out, too. What stood out about Brown, even with all the drama he was tied to, was how he was described as a competitor, an alpha and a football junkie."
The Patriots clearly wanted Brown on their roster, but Wolf stood his ground on not giving up two premium draft picks for the player. So the two sides ultimately decided on a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder to complete the deal.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: A.J. Brown trade nugget reveals Patriots exec Eliot Wolf stood firm