A.J. Brown's Future Addressed By Eagles GM After Makai Lemon Pick in NFL Draft amid Trade Rumors

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't traded wide receiver A.J. Brown yet, but the team's first-round pick of Makai Lemon indicates that they might be looking for his replacement.

After the first round, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said the team is "taking this one day at a time" when it comes to offseason plans.

"A.J. is a member of the Eagles. We don't have any trades that have been made, or that are done," Roseman told reporters. "And I think for us, we're taking this one day at a time. We're going to look to improve the team tomorrow, and we'll continue to address anything that we have to with our roster, not only through this draft weekend, but we'll continue to look for ways to improve the team throughout the offseason, and as we get into training camp."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that a trade to send Brown to the Patriots is "still on the table and still tracking to happen on or after June 1." Schefter noted that the two sides have been in talks about a deal, but neither will commit before June 1.

"Put the trade on hold for now, but things will soon quickly warm back up," Schefter wrote. "The Eagles remain open to trading Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume on or before June 1, probably culminating in a deal, per league sources."

Despite Schefter's report, Roseman has given little indication that Brown is on his way out. In the days leading up to the draft, he was insistent that Brown "is an Eagle."

"What do you think the odds are that I'm answering this question any differently than I answered anywhere else," Roseman told reporters. "Like, really? Do you think that's like 50 percent? Do you think that's like 75 percent? A.J. Brown is an Eagle."

Philadelphia traded up to No. 20 on Thursday to take Lemon, sending the No. 23 pick and two fourth-round selections back to the Dallas Cowboys.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department considered Lemon to be the No. 14 overall and the No. 4 wide receiver in this year's draft class. The former Trojan recorded 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season at USC.

If Lemon is Brown's replacement, he'll have big shoes to fill, as Brown is a three-time All-Pro receiver who helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl in 2022.