A.J. Brown Trade Rumors Addressed by Patriots' Vrabel After Eagles GM, HC Sidestep Questions

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel declined to give a definitive answer when asked Tuesday if a trade for Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown was still "on the table" for his team.

"We've talked about this since last January. We're going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster, through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition," Vrabel said at the NFL's annual league meetings in Phoenix.

"Anything that we can continue to do to try to strengthen the roster, we're going to try to do."

Vrabel's answer came the day after Patriots EVP of player personnel Eliot Wolf said in a Monday appearance on the Up & Adams Show he hadn't held conversations about a potential trade for Brown "in a long time."

Wolf also pointed toward comments made Sunday by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who gave a similarly noncommittal answer when asked in Phoenix about a potential trade for Brown.

"My answer to any question on A.J. Brown is A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles," Roseman said, per ESPN's Tim McManus. "From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I'm going to go right back to that answer."

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took a similar tack when asked about Brown on Sunday.

"Nothing's changed there. A.J.'s an Eagle," Sirianni told reporters. "Nothing's changed from the last time I spoke to you guys."

Even if the Patriots and Eagles were to eventually agree on a trade, it is likely Brown's status wouldn't change until after June 1.

Trading Brown before that date would leave the Eagles with $20 million in lost cap space, while waiting to make a post-June 1 deal would leave Philadelphia with $7 million in additional space, per Over the Cap.

The Eagles are reportedly seeking a package including at least a first- and second-round pick for Brown, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, after the wide receiver recorded four straight 1,000 receiving-yard seasons in Philadelphia.

The Patriots could potentially meet that price, as the franchise owns its own first- and second-rounders in the next three drafts, per Spotrac.

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead confirmed Tuesday he had held talks with the Eagles about a potential deal for Brown, but that it "didn't work out."

The Rams being out of the running is one more indication that Brown could end up catching passes from Drake Maye next season if the Eagles do ultimately decide to trade him when the move becomes more viable in June.