When the long-awaited\u00a0A.J. Brown\u00a0trade to New England\u00a0finally went down, the compensation the Eagles received seemed a bit less than initially anticipated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman entered the offseason reportedly seeking first- and second-round picks for the receiver with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and three Pro Bowls. While that ask always seemed outsized, the eventual deal pushed that first-round compensation until 2028. Philly also added a 2027 fifth-rounder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The general rule for evaluating draft pick trades is to devalue each year by a round. So that 2028 first-rounder is valued similarly to a 2027 second-round pick. Extrapolating out, it’d have been equal to a 2026 third-rounder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, that’s not how Roseman is mathing out the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For us to take a 2026 pick, and that’s a late first-round pick, and obviously also have to deal with the cap consequences that come with making a trade prior to June 1, it made some sense for us to look at future picks,” Roseman said Monday,\u00a0via The Athletic. “We’ve always been in the mindset that a pick is a pick — a first-round pick is a first-round pick. Doesn’t matter. Teams are still going to be playing football in 2028.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With all due respect to Roseman, one of the best GMs in the NFL, that’s hellish spin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It made perfect sense for Philly not to ask for a 2026 first-rounder in a shallow draft class, considering the financial implications of trading Brown before June 1. But the fact that the top-flight pick didn’t come in 2027 underscores the lack of leverage he had after the Los Angeles Rams bowed out of the running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Eagles got less in return for Brown than the Dolphins\u00a0did\u00a0for\u00a0Jaylen Waddle\u00a0— 2026 first- and third-selections. Both are excellent receivers, and Waddle is 19 months younger, but Brown is clearly the better player at this stage, and a top-five wideout when he’s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roseman knows he’s spinning because, at some point, when the uber-trader is in a conversation with another GM about a potential trade and the Eagles are trying to squeeze out a more favorable deal, he’ll get that “a pick is a pick” quote thrown back in his face. Howie will probably chuckle and continue to push for a pick that isn’t two draft classes from when they’re dealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luckily for Roseman, he has the job security to wait until 2028 to get his first-round pick and could use that chip next year to move up. It’s not ideal, but given that the situation with Brown became untenable and Philly was negotiating from a negative position, it’s better than what they could have gotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think from our perspective, getting a first-round pick for our team, having two first-round picks in ’28 is a huge, huge part of this move,” Roseman said. “I think that when you look at that and obviously the options of what you’re able to do with having multiple first-round picks, it’s a huge game-changer, and I feel very, very confident that those picks are the most valuable things that you can add as you’re building your team. I know there’s a lot of attention on the 2027 draft, but at the same time, looking at the ’28 draft, I feel confident that that’s going to be a good draft as well, and that we’ll be in position to really improve our football team.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roseman got his first-round pick. He just has to wait a while before he can actually spend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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