Newest A.J. Brown Trade Rumors After DJ Moore Dealt to Bills from Bears Before NFL Free Agency

If they wind up trading A.J. Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles aren't going to settle on a discounted price for the star wide receiver.

Appearing Thursday on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN's Adam Schefter said he'd be shocked if the Eagles took anything less than a first-round pick:

Philly general manager Howie Roseman got another data point for Brown's valuation with the Buffalo Bills working out a deal to acquire D.J. Moore. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Chicago Bears are getting a second-round pick in the swap.

Beyond Brown's impact on the field, there are the financial difficulties for the Eagles. His three-year $96 million extension has yet to kick in, so trading him would saddle the team with a lot of dead money.

If the Eagles are going to put all of those problems on their plate, then the trade return needs to be worth it.

All things being equal, a compelling case could be made to offload Brown.

Calling the three-time Pro Bowler a disruptive presence would be unfair. He appeared in all but two games for Philadelphia, and his effort level was never in question.

His frustration over his usage and role in the passing game did, however, provide a distraction. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie intervened at one point to make sure everybody was on the same page.

Another year of that isn't exactly appetizing.

Wide receivers tend to fall off quickly once they hit their 30s as well. Brown will turn 29 in June, so this might be the point when his trade value is at its apex.

But Roseman has to work in the present reality where the Eagles are aiming for a Super Bowl run and lack a ton of cap flexibility. Absent a massive draft haul, trading Brown leaves Philadelphia much worse off in the short term.