The Philadelphia Eagles are on the verge of acquiring a star wide receiver, but not through the NFL draught, as many expected.
The Eagles agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday to acquire wide receiver A.J. Brown in exchange for the Nos. 18 and 101 draught picks.
As part of the deal, Philadelphia agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension with Brown, according to multiple reports.
Brown, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020, had been skipping voluntary offseason workouts as he entered the final year of his rookie contract. Titans general manager Jon Robinson, on the other hand, stated last week that the team does not intend to trade Brown.
“I don’t see it happening,” he said.
Robinson had remained optimistic that an extension could be reached during the offseason.
“The decision we made today was a difficult one,” Robinson said in a news conference after the deal was announced Thursday night. “I really appreciate everything A.J. has done for our football team, on and off the field, and in the community.” We had back-and-forth conversations. We got to a point where it was going to be difficult to close a deal, and the trade thing sort of manifested itself from there.”
Brown said on Twitter after the deal, in a tweet that he later deleted: “Tennesse I love you and will always have a place in my heart for you, and I can say this now… IT WASN’T MY FAULT. But I wish you the best of luck. Love.”
The Titans used the No. 18 pick on Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, who could be a replacement for Brown.
Brown joins 2021 first-round pick DeVonta Smith as a much-needed go-to target for the Eagles.
With the No. 13 overall pick, Philadelphia used its other first-round pick on Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis.