Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Drama: Patriots-Eagles A.J. Brown Trade Postponed? | Latest Twists

Starting point is 00:00:00 AJ Brown was expected to be in New England by early next week. But now we're being told that might not be the case. What in the world? This is Locked-on Patriots. You are Locked-on Patriots. Your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening?

Starting point is 00:00:28 I am your host, Nick Cattels. On today's episode, we try to make sense of why the NFL would want the completion of this trade to be delayed. In the second segment, there are a number of reasons why this type of reporting could be happening now. But first, the latest on A.J. Brown, the Eagles and the Patriots. For months. For months, it feels like it's been years. A.J. Brown to the Patriots on June 1st, past 4 o'clock or June 2nd, has felt like a fait accompli. All of a sudden, Lee Corso steps into the room and says, not so fast, my friends. Greg Bedard on the podcast that we do together.

Starting point is 00:01:09 Late last week said, quote, I have heard a couple of different things on the timing. I have heard from somebody that they think that the NFL would prefer if the Patriots waited a couple of weeks, unquote. Ian Rappaport on Wednesday night, NFL Network, quote, I just don't know that it's going to be snap your fingers and a deal gets done. The two sides are where they have been. the Eagles wanting a first round pick in 2027 and the Patriots the most likely destination, not being willing to give up a first round pick as of right now.

Starting point is 00:01:43 That means they're not particularly close. And yeah, there's a chance that this could drag on for the foreseeable future unquote. If these trade talks drag on for another week or two, I might go clinically insane. I might officially lose my mind. Forget about moving furniture. I might move out of the country. If this thing continues to drag on after months of these conversations, it's like that old book waiting for Godot.

Starting point is 00:02:16 I mean, what are we doing? It's painful. It is painful. So, of course, now we've got to sit back. And I know waiting for Godot was, it was really a play, not a book, whatever. You get the point. So now we sit here and we try to figure out. We parse words.

Starting point is 00:02:36 We try to figure out why this is happening. Seemingly the 23rd hour of this situation, we're all thinking we are literally days away from a trade happening and Brown being a patriot. What is going on? Well, let's first start with what Ian Rappaport actually said. What we can take from Ian Rappaport on the NFL network is that the Patriots now don't want to give up a first round pick.

Starting point is 00:03:06 That's what Ian Rappaport said. The Eagles wanting a first round pick in 2027 and the Patriots, the most likely destination, not being willing to give up a first round pick as of right now. Now does Ian Rappaport mean a first round pick in 2027 or just a first round pick flatly, denied, done? Because for weeks, we have heard multiple insiders, including the best in the business, Adam Schaefter, tell us that this was most likely. likely going to be a 2028 first round pick. What happened? Did that just disappear? Is that now gone?

Starting point is 00:03:44 Back to Rappaport. The Eagles still want a 2027 first round pick. I thought that was all but ruled out by pretty much every single report over the last six, seven, eight weeks. I thought we already crossed the 27 first round pick bridge and got to the other side to talk about 2028. But now I am being told that the Eagles are still trying to hold firm on this 2027 first round pick. We're circling back to that now. That is, again, part of this conversation. Really? Rapaport himself admits the Patriots are still the most likely destination.

Starting point is 00:04:28 There is still not a single mention of another team with any substance to it. The Jacksonville Jaguars report, give me a break. The Kansas City Chiefs, that's Albert Breer saying, I would circle back, but I don't think Kansas City is going to circle back. We know the Rams already had their conversations. They got at least somewhat far down the road with the Eagles. They backed out. They want to keep Devante Adams.

Starting point is 00:04:55 They're concerned about the knee of A.J. Brown. There is not a single mention of another team. It has been dead since the draft. It has been dead. It has been the Patriots, the Patriots, the Patriots. And again, even Ian Rappaport, who is telling us this might get delayed, even Rappaport is telling us that the Patriots are the most likely destination. Let's also not forget exactly what Rappaport said here. This is the exact quote.

Starting point is 00:05:33 There's a chance that this could drag on. Look at those words. there's a chance. Not saying it's a guarantee. He's not saying it's going to happen. He's not saying this is what people think is going to actually happen. Now it might happen, but he's not guaranteeing this. His report is that there is a chance that this could drag on.

Starting point is 00:06:00 There is a lot of wiggle room within that statement. A lot of wiggle room. The draft happened more than a month ago, folks. More than a month ago. we are now, as I said a few moments ago, sitting at the 23rd hour of this situation. And now you're trying to tell me that the terms are being tweaked. The terms are changing. The Eagles are still talking about a 2027 first round pick.

Starting point is 00:06:34 And the Patriots don't want to part with any first round pick. And I have a simple question. I'm raising my hand up in the back of the room. Professor Professor Rappaport. Where was this reporting over the last month when everyone was saying June 1st for a 2028 first round pick? Where has this reporting been for the past month or so? Nothing has changed for the past five or six weeks. And then all of a sudden, right before the final weekend, we get this.

Starting point is 00:07:14 we get this reporting. Eh, eh, eh, not quite done just yet. This thing has a chance. It could drag on. So what in the world is going on? What in the world is going on? I've got a ton of thoughts, and we're going to start to run through those thoughts coming up next.

Starting point is 00:07:40 This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. We can stream anything. Order food and minutes. Do everything from our phones and somehow buying tickets to live events still feels way harder than it should be. Long lines, confusing checkout, prices jumping at the last second. It should not be that complicated. That's why there's game time.

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Starting point is 00:09:02 And that could be what's going on here between the Eagles and the Patriots. But I think this late reporting here runs deeper than that. Thank you for making us your first listen and for being in every day or get your daily Patriots fix, completely ad-free by joining the Everydayer Club today. Start your seven-day free trial right now and get closer to your team without the interruptions.

Starting point is 00:09:25 Click the link and the show notes. Go to lockdown patriots. com to claim your free trial. Also, don't forget to like. Click that thumbs up. Helps us with the algorithm. Don't forget to like. Don't forget to comment.

Starting point is 00:09:38 Your thoughts on this reporting from Ian Rappaport. And don't forget to subscribe. The next goal is 10,000 subscribers. I cannot say thank you enough to those. to support this program and this channel. When a narrative starts to dramatically shift so late after so much reporting, something's up. Something's up.

Starting point is 00:10:02 Now, it is a possibility that this never-ending story, A.J. Brown, to the Patriots, the trade conversations, Mike Frable and A.J. Brown's relationship, their friendship, how he Roseman and how he's going to draw a hard line with a first round pick. This never-ending story. I said at the beginning of this episode, and I'll say it again, it feels like this has been going on for years. How long it's been 85 years? This never-ending story.

Starting point is 00:10:39 These sources now are starting to jump down the rabbit hole of what could happen, what might happen. So many people are talking, so many things are being said. and you have reporters who have been reporting on this story for months, who have been reporting mostly the same thing week after week for more than a month, it is absolutely possible that because this story has continued to drag on, and you have people that are looking for new angles, maybe fresh information, sources jumping down the rabbit hole,

Starting point is 00:11:13 trying to figure out how this is all going to end up happening, and this is what we get. This is what we get late in the process. It's not throwing stuff up against the wall. I absolutely feel like Ian Rappboard is one of the best in the business. I'm sure he's getting his information from somebody that he trusts. And I'm sure that person is telling him, look, this might drag on. Philly still wants a 2027 first.

Starting point is 00:11:38 The Patriots are unwilling to budge, et cetera, et cetera. So that is a possibility. Just, you know, we got a different angle, sources that have been running around constantly with this story. We've gotten to this point now. Another possibility. Another reason that we could be getting this reporting this late in the process is that the Patriots are trying to take advantage of their newfound post-draft leverage. Maybe the Patriots had a wink-wink agreement with the Eagles. But then once the drafts finished up, they said, wait a minute.

Starting point is 00:12:14 they moved up. They gave up assets to move up in the draft with a division rival. And they drafted Mackay Lemon. They have to play McKay Lemon. Now, maybe the Patriots thought the Eagles would be willing to go to camp with AJ Brown if they didn't get McKay Lemon. But now that you brought in a first round receiver, the pressure on Philly to play that guy is much higher than it

Starting point is 00:12:44 would be if it was a third round pick, fifth round pick, you get the point. Not only that, the Patriots we know, they have been trying to trade Kashon Booty. And maybe that market has been more lukewarm than the Patriots expected. So now the Patriots still have Kashon Booty on their roster. So with those two things, with the Mackay Lemon draft pick and the Kashon booty non-trade to this point, you can make the argument the Patriots looked at this thing. and said, wait a minute, why are we going to give up a first round pick? We are not as desperate as we thought we might be because we thought we were going to be trading Kishan booty.

Starting point is 00:13:24 They are more desperate to trade A.J. Brown than we thought they would be because they actually pulled the trigger on drafting a wide receiver in the first round. We thought they might go with a tackle. But now that we know they drafted McKay Lemon, holy crap, this helps us. And we haven't said yes to anything yet. we know we want to complete a deal. We know we are working on a deal, but we have not signed this thing in blood.

Starting point is 00:13:52 So we're going to circle back and say, wait a minute, yeah, we are not willing to give up a first round pick. Maybe that's what's happening here. Another possibility from Philadelphia side. Maybe Howie Roseman is just trying to create any type of leverage that he can by pushing this further into camp. Maybe Howie Roseman is looking at the Patriots saying, yeah, you still have Kashon Booty,

Starting point is 00:14:20 but you still don't have a true legitimate alpha boundary wide receiver like A.J. Brown. You still don't have that type of guy in your room. You know it. We know it. Give us the first round pick. So this could be the Wild Wild West, a classic stare down between the Eagles and the Patriots, each side trying to call the other side's bluff. That could absolutely be what's happening.

Starting point is 00:14:47 And as we get closer to June 1st at 4 o'clock, everybody knows the circumstances, everybody knows what's happening here. And so this could be either side, both sides, trying to put pressure on the other side to succumb to the terms that they would. want because these teams know, know for a fact that they've been on this road for months. They understand that.

Starting point is 00:15:17 We understand that. But they also know that we're getting closer and closer to June 1st. And as we get closer and closer, there's only so much time left to try to squeeze the juice out the lemon. and that's going to create a rush, an urgency to reporters, to give them this information. This could simply also be about optics. The Patriots, they might feel like they're going to get crushed for giving up a first round pick.

Starting point is 00:15:57 And so the Patriots might be leaking this information to try to make it look like they are still. They are still, as they say, efforting to hold the line. They are still standing there saying, we are not going to give up a first round pick. There's no way we're going to give up a first round pick. And if they inevitably give up that first round pick in 2028, if they give that pick up,

Starting point is 00:16:22 we can look at all of this reporting now late in the process and say, well, man, they tried everything. They really try to dig their feet in on not giving up that pick. And the Patriots can say, look, we tried. We tried to land A.J. Brown without giving up that type of pick. But at the end of the day, we felt like A.J. Brown was enough of a difference maker, yada, yada, yada. On the Philadelphia side, this could also be about optics.

Starting point is 00:16:52 The Eagles know. The Eagles could know that they're not getting what they want. Howie Roseman might be fighting until the. a bitter end to get this first round pick. And so you leak this out. So it at least has the appearance to Eagles fans that you did everything you possibly could do to try to get as much of a return for A.J. Brown as you could. Hey, we did our due diligence.

Starting point is 00:17:27 We did our due diligence till the very bitter end. This is the best we could do. And it was in our best interest as a football team, as a franchise. It was in our best interest to just move on. We talked to other teams. We circled back to other teams. We didn't quit on getting a better return. We didn't quit on getting a better return in April.

Starting point is 00:17:56 No, no, no, no, no. We fought until like June, until the middle of June. We scratched and we clawed and we tried to get that first round pick Eagles fans, but we just couldn't do it because the market wasn't there. There's another possibility. There's another reason why this reporting could be happening right now. The teams could be simply arguing over what I call the sweetener, the extra pick that you throw into a trade,

Starting point is 00:18:27 the pick swap that happens in a trade. And I bring this up because Josina Anderson, on Thursday morning posted, a league source tells me the Eagles and Patriots have recently, quote, unquote, grappled. I love that. Grappling, like it's the Octagon and UFC. The Eagles and Patriots have recently grappled over the total trade compensation

Starting point is 00:18:49 that could involve a quote-unquote swapping of picks. So, for example, let's say the Patriots are telling the Eagles, yeah, we'll give you a first round pick in 2028, but we want back a third round pick. So we'll give you the 2028 first round pick, and maybe we'll even throw in a fifth or a sixth, but we want A.J. Brown and a third round pick back.

Starting point is 00:19:22 And now it's just the back and forth that happens in every trade conversation, unless you're the Dallas Mavericks just looking to give away Luca Donchich, the back and forth in pretty much every single trade conversation that goes down. And what we're getting is the shrapnel from the tweaking of this deal, the fringes, the edges of this deal. And maybe the Patriots are sending this signal saying, we're not giving up the first round pick because you guys won't give us the third round pick

Starting point is 00:20:01 in return. Now, which of these reasons? It could be a combination of these reasons. I just gave you five or six. I don't know. I don't work for the Eagles. I don't work for the Patriots. So I don't know with 100% certainty why all of a sudden we're hearing about a possible delay. But I think all of the things that I just covered could be a part of it. And I'd venture to guess it's at least one of those things that I just mentioned. that is causing this reporting. Coming up, the reasons why the NFL, yeah, the NFL might want this trade to be delayed, what we think happens and when it happens. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network,

Starting point is 00:20:52 your team every day. The thought of the NFL putting their thumb on the scale for the sake of the TV show was immediately all over social media on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. but there are much more tangible reasons why this type of agreement would have the league wanting to pump the brakes. Thanks for checking out, the Lockdown Podcast Network. Now the number one sports podcast network. Don't forget watching us on YouTube, like, comment, and subscribe, help the brother out. I do not think the NFL is trying to get more attention by telling these two teams do not consummate the deal.

Starting point is 00:21:39 just yet. If you try to paint that picture, what's it look like? Do we honestly believe that Roger Goodell or Roger Goodell's minions are getting on the phone and calling Howie Roseman and calling Elliot Wolf and calling Mike Frable and calling everybody involved and saying, hey, guys, look, we know that you're going to make this trade. And we know that you've got mandatory minicamp coming up. And we know that you want to continue to just, you know, play football and prepare for 2020. 26th a season.

Starting point is 00:22:11 But how about you just wait a week or two before pulling the trigger on this thing? And wait to pull the trigger because we actually like all the attention. Like I just, I know people try to paint the NFL as the big bad monster. I truly get it. But that just to me does not sound realistic. I do not think the NFL. I do not think the league would be calling these teams, telling them to suspend operation, so to speak, Operation A.J. Brown, suspend Operation A.J. Brown

Starting point is 00:22:47 for a couple of weeks because we want to keep stirring things up. No, I actually think this story from a national standpoint is pretty tired. And I would have to imagine that the vast majority of NFL fans don't care about A.J. Brown going to the Patriots. I think this is a Philadelphia, New England, point of view. The NFL is getting involved because they just love the headlines and they love the clicks. I don't think that's realistic. So why would the NFL care? Why would the NFL want this deal to maybe take a little bit longer?

Starting point is 00:23:28 I think there could be a legitimate concern over the precedent of deals getting done weeks and or months ahead of the actual trade going down. Because that would bring a number of problems for the league. It would create a lack of trust between the teams because were we really in a good faith negotiation? When was this trade agreed upon? Were they just kind of using us for another reason? Were they trying to get other intel?

Starting point is 00:24:01 Do we really trust what's going on here? it could get a little bit ugly if teams are wink, wink, nod, months ahead of time and still going about their work on a day-to-day basis and talking to other teams about other possible moves. A lot of, you know, a lot of sliding doors, as they say, with this type of situation. If you're the NFL, you also have to worry about tampering. And Mike Vrable and A.J. Brown and their relationship,

Starting point is 00:24:33 and the idea of, you know, who's talking to who and when those people are talking and what is actually being said. Again, we all know that tampering happens and we all know that bad faith negotiations happen. But when you're peeling the curtain back and showing it to the world like this, that's at a different level. And don't overlook gambling. Don't overlook the impact of the gambling world. Because if this deal was okayed months ago, what other things are okayed? And so you want to at least show the public that you're on the up and up. It goes back to that trust factor, that trust conversation. So, you know, there are plenty of reasons why the NFL might not think this is what's best for business that have nothing to do with, we want more headlines.

Starting point is 00:25:32 How about player power? You know, how much say did A.J. Brown have in this situation. How much has he quietly pushed for New England behind closed doors? Because I'll tell you right now, the NFL does not want an NBA. The NFL does not want the NFL players to feel like NBA superstars do, where NBA superstars to shoot their way out of town whenever they want to. Kevin Durant can get traded a billion times. James Harding can be traded a billion times.

Starting point is 00:26:03 It's no big deal. NFL owners, I'm sure, are very concerned with the idea of a player like A.J. Brown or somebody even, you know, higher on the pecking order than A.J. Brown, having that type of power to manipulate the league enforce a trade between two teams that are very powerful teams with powerful owners that are very, very popular. That could be a problem for the NFL.

Starting point is 00:26:32 Now, the attention, the TV show angle, I actually think the NFL would be more likely to be upset that this deal is looked at as a fait accompli. I would think the NFL, if it was about the attention in the TV show, I think they'd be upset with how much attention this has gotten because it peels the curtain. back, which creates all the possible problems I just brought up. So what happens and when does it happen? I still think a deal gets done. As they say, a long time ago, the hay is already in the barn, my friends.

Starting point is 00:27:14 I know that's a saying that a lot of people in New England and Philadelphia use. The hay is already in the barn. The Mackay Lemon pick has already happened. The Dantavian Whix trade has already. happened. The signing of Elijah Moore and Hollywood Brown have both already happened. Jalen Hertz has already been asked about A.J. Brown and handled it in the past tense, pretty much. The Patriots already went through the draft and did not draft a single wide receiver. This stuff has already happened. Kishan Bouti already is staying away from the facility is

Starting point is 00:27:49 pretty much now persona non grata with the Patriots organization, no matter what Mike Vrable says. just too much has happened. And I think eventually the haggling will get settled. And these two teams will come together and a deal will happen. Now, when will it get done? I don't know if it's going to get done on June 1st at 401 p.m. Eastern time, but I do think this deal gets done before mandatory minicamps. And the Patriots, their mandatory minicamp is on June 15th, June 15th through the 17th.

Starting point is 00:28:22 But the date that we really should be paying attention to is the Philadelphia mandatory minicamp. Because Philly's mandatory minicamp is on June 9th. And I just don't think the Eagles or the Patriots are going to want to deal with this noise during mandatory minicamp. And it's not fair to anyone if this thing continues to drag out. It is certainly not fair to A.J. Brown. And, you know, this could be part of Philadelphia's thinking of trying to leverage the Patriots, one last time before you know you've got to pull the trigger because it is very difficult for A.J. Brown and the Patriots because they're the ones that have to get things going

Starting point is 00:29:05 and have a lot of new involved. A.J. Brown has to learn a new offense. A.J. Brown has to gain chemistry with a new quarterback. The Patriots, I'm sure, would like to define roles at wide receiver and put this offense together as soon as possible with A.J. Brown in the mix, because he would be their alpha in that room. Meanwhile, Philadelphia knows. Philadelphia can operate with the knowledge that A.J. Brown is not going to be there. He can just sit off to the sidelines or not show up. And they can go about their day. So it's just, it's very, very difficult for the Patriots because they want to get Brown in town. Learn the playbook and get going.

Starting point is 00:29:50 And I just, I think it'll happen sooner rather than later because if it doesn't happen soon, AJ Brown might start to, you know, really make some noise about getting out of Philly. And then it could turn ugly. And I don't think anybody wants it to turn ugly. So at a certain point, I do think cooler heads prevail. Each side knows what's got to be done. And it will get done. That wraps up this edition of Lockdown Patriots.

Starting point is 00:30:13 Thank you for making us your first listen. And for being an everydayer. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C. Radio. and don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel, hit that like button and subscribe. And if you never miss an episode, the everydayer club is built for you. Get Lockdown Patriots, ad free, plus members-only discord access and more. Hit the lockdownpatriots.com or check the link and the show notes to learn more. Have a great weekend, and we will see you next time.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Drama: Patriots-Eagles A.J. Brown Trade Postponed? | Latest Twists

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