Howie Roseman isn’t trying to trade A.J. Brown right now. He’s trying to start a bidding war.

NFL reporter Benjamin Allbright cut through the speculation on X this week, dismissing Denver as a serious player and pointing to two real contenders: New England and Los Angeles.

“The Broncos call about everything, interested or not… but I have not been told of any interest in Brown, and that was pushed back on a while ago,” Allbright wrote on X. “I believe it’s the Patriots or the Rams, and the Eagles are floating the Rams trying to get the Patriots, their main suitor, to bite.”

The Los Angeles Rams aren’t just a chess piece in Philly’s strategy, though. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirmed that LA had explored a Brown trade even before finalizing their move to acquire cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs. 

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“Dialogue slowed, but Los Angeles continues to monitor the status of the three-time Pro Bowler with interest,” Russini wrote. “We’ll see where both parties go from here.”

The Rams have already sent four draft picks to Kansas City for McDuffie. With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams already in the fold, Brown would give Matthew Stafford arguably the best receiving options of his career.

The New England Patriots, meanwhile, have been the most persistent presence all offseason. Even after committing to Romeo Doubs on a four-year, $80 million deal, Patriots EVP Eliot Wolf wasn’t ready to close the door.

“I think the only real deadlines you have are salary-cap related,” Wolf said on Thursday, March 12. “For instance, did we spend money in free agency that would take us out of something else? But I wouldn’t say there’s a deadline on trying to improve the team.”

Wolf also made it clear that New England doesn’t view a designated WR1 as something non-negotiable.

“The whole idea of a No. 1 receiver—how many of them are there in the NFL?” Wolf said. “Maybe half the teams have one. So I don’t know if that’s a prerequisite for being a good football team.”

That said, Stefon Diggs is now gone in New England, and the receiver room looks thin behind Doubs. Adding Brown would strengthen the Patriots’ receiving corps. The fit is obvious—which is exactly why Roseman isn’t rushing.

While the discussion of ‘fit’ carries on, there are conflicting reports about what’s happening in Foxborough. NFL insider Josina Anderson notes Philly may be willing to take a 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick for A.J. Brown. In contrast, Anthony Gargano noted on his show that the Patriots offered a first-round and a third-round pick. But Howie Roseman declined.

That rejection came from a position, not impatience. If the Rams now inch closer, the Patriots will be pushed into giving up prime picks to finally get Brown. There are other teams Brown himself has an interest in, like the Chiefs.

The guarantees have landed

On March 13—the third day of the new league year—$4 million of Brown’s 2027 salary became fully guaranteed, deepening his contractual ties to Philadelphia. What’s more, his 2026 compensation of $29 million was already locked in since spring 2025.

Brown’s cap number now sits at $23.39 million, second on Philly’s entire payroll. Now, a post-June 1 trade designation limits what the Eagles can recover on this year’s books. If Brown is moved after June 1, Philly saves $7 million of cap space while absorbing $16.35 million in dead cap. With those financial outlooks, Philly isn’t budging.

“Several teams remain interested in acquiring Eagles star receiver A.J. Brown, according to NFL sources,” Jason La Canfora reported recently. “But general managers are steadfast that Philadelphia is showing no signs of coming off a very steep price for him, and many executives remain unconvinced he will end up dealt.”

One GM highlighted the importance of a post-June 1 trade and laid the plan out plainly to La Canfora:

“Howie doesn’t have to do anything now, and you’re going to have to really blow him away to get it done before June 1,” the GM said. “I do think he’ll move him for the right price, but not until June.”

That compensation remains a first-round pick, a second-rounder, and perhaps another player. Regardless of the shift in leverage, that price seems to have been locked by Roseman.

As the draft approaches in April, neither New England nor Los Angeles has met that number. Until one of them does, Roseman holds the leverage and has no reason to move.