The Philadelphia Eagles made their way back to the Super Bowl last season. A lot of the credit is directed toward Jalen Hurts, whose MVP (runner-up) ascent became a significant source of headlines. Perhaps underrated as a driving force, however, was the A.J. Brown trade. He played a large role in Hurts' rise, not to mention the Eagles' overall offensive success.
Howie Roseman continues to not lose trades... ever? The Tennessee Titans weren't going to extend Brown, so the Eagles dished out first and third-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft to land Brown in Philadelphia. He promptly signed a four-year, $100 million contract that feels like a severe underpay in hindsight.
Brown and DeVonta Smith form arguably the best one-two-receiver punch in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Titans' offense continues to operate sluggishly with no real forward momentum. The Will Levis debut on Sunday was a source of optimism — a light at the end of the tunnel — but it's safe to say 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks, the ostensible heir to Brown's WR castle in Nashville, is not performing up to expectations.
As the Eagles sprint toward another first-place finish and the Titans continue to put around the bottom of the standings, here's a re-evaluation of the fateful draft-day trade.
Re-grading the Eagles-Titans A.J. Brown trade
At the time, Brown was an extremely successful 25-year-old entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Titans didn't want to pay — a curious strategy for the most explosive playmaker on the roster. Tennessee drafted and developed Brown, pouring years of training and targets into him, only to balk at a reasonable asking price for the elite WR they produced.
Instead, the Eagles spent money to win games, like any good team, and made out like bandits in the process. Brown's first season yielded a Super Bowl. So far in year two, the Eagles are 7-1 and Brown is charting a historic course. He's the first wide receiver in NFL history to post 125 or more receiving yards in six straight games.
Brown has been the Eagles' most reliable offensive player this season. MVP conversations naturally skew toward the QB position — it's unavoidable, and probably correct — but there is a serious case that Brown is the 'most valuable' component of Philadelphia's offense at the moment. Hurts' theoretical absence would probably cost more than Brown's theoretical absence, but Brown has elevated Hurts on numerous occasions with impossible catches in high-leverage moments.
That's not even to suggest that Hurts has been bad. Brown has simply been a heroic force within the offense, time and time again pulling rabbits out of the proverbial hat to keep the chains moving or to score a timely touchdown to pad Philadelphia's lead. Of the Eagles' seven wins, at least a couple can be directly attributed to plays Brown made. Without Brown, the Eagles are probably hovering more toward the middle of the pack right now.
For the Titans, the return on investment has been fairly disappointing. Treylon Burks continues to fight injuries and inconsistency. He appeared in 11 games (six starts) as a rookie and caught 33 of 54 targets for 444 yards and a touchdown. He has six receptions for 99 yards in four appearances this season.
The No. 101 pick, tight end Jeremy Ruckert, was rerouted to the New York Jets.
The Titans essentially opted for the cheaper, younger alternative in another rookie who, in the most ideal timeline, will also have to get paid eventually. It's good practice to spend money when truly elite talent is on the line. Brown has taken another step forward since arriving in Philadelphia, but the man started his career with consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. The talent was never in doubt.
Philadelphia is the victor in this exchange, without question. The Titans will hope for Burks to eventually get up to speed as a top option in the offense, but odds are Burks will never remotely approach Brown's productivity.