A.J. Brown Trade Rumors Updated by NFL Insider After Romeo Doubs' Reported Patriots Contract

The New England Patriots' reported trade pursuit of A.J. Brown might have ended with their Tuesday signing of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are bringing in Doubs on a four-year deal. The contract is a $68 million deal worth up to $80 million, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"If it's not the Patriots for A.J. Brown, the Eagles face the possibility of kind of going back to drawing board," Rapoport said Tuesday. "Or maybe Brown goes, 'You know what, I'm going to open it up and kind of consider going to some other teams.'"

According to MassLive's Karen Guregian and NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, however, the Doubs contract does not mean the Patriots are necessarily out on Brown.

Brown is signed through the 2029 season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He reportedly has a four-team trade wish list featuring the Patriots alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

As of Monday, Breer reported the Patriots "appeared to be the only team from that group really in on the idea" of a potential trade for Brown.

The Doubs trade took place after the Patriots reportedly decided to release Stefon Diggs when the league year starts on Wednesday.

Diggs' release will leave the Patriots with $9.7 million in dead money but $16.8 million in cap savings, per Over the Cap.

New England went into Monday's start of the official free agency negotiating period with around $31.6 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.

The Patriots have since committed themselves to just under $30 million in terms of average annual value of new contracts with the signings of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Dre'Mont Jones and Reggie Gilliam.

Releasing Diggs then potentially cleared enough room to sign Doubs at his contract, which will come with an AAV between $17 million and $20 million.

The Patriots would have to commit to more financial maneuvering in order to fit in Brown's $23.4 million cap hit for next season.

Acquiring Brown would also be costly in terms of draft capital. Breer previously reported the Eagles are looking for a return similar to the Las Vegas Raiders' trade for Davante Adams in 2022, which netted the Green Bay Packers first- and second-round picks in that year's draft.

How much salary the Patriots are able to move around this offseason, as well as how much draft capital the franchise is willing to put on the trade block, will impact the likelihood Brown ends up playing with Doubs next season.