I’VE been sitting this one out, because I find the subject matter silly. However, too many things are going unsaid, in order to help perpetuate a story with no story to it. So I’m weighing in, because an adult perspective is needed.

Since last season, there’s been a non-stop conveyor belt of rumors, regarding the Eagles trading WR A.J. Brown. Much of that has been fueled by Brown’s social media posts, sideline behavior, and post-game interview coyness. So for Brown’s part, he himself has helped feed the rumor mill.

For the Eagles part, (namely General Manager Howie Roseman), the team’s assertion is that Brown is a great player, and you don’t give away great players. Local media and many fans, are saying the Eagles must be tired of Brown’s antics, so surely they want to trade him. (To me that sounds like folks projecting their own frustrations.)

Understand, if a good enough deal comes down the pike, I think Howie jumps on it. We ask for a king’s ransom, and wait to see if the other court has a fool willing to part with it. It’s just smart business. That being said, for my part, I don’t think the Eagles have much real interest in trading Brown, and there are a few reasons for that.

First, I’m pretty sure they want Brown this year. In fact, I’m pretty sure they need him this year. Not just a really good wide receiver. Him. A.J. Brown specifically.

The Eagles have a brand new Offensive Coordinator, in Sean Mannion, whose system has yet to be demonstrated. So opposing defenses have no reason to fear, or even respect it yet. What they do have to respect, are the players we have operating that system.

Due to QB Jalen Hurts past success with Brown, they will generate different coverages than say, second year WR Darius Cooper can. That aspect cannot be replicated quickly or easily. So, Brown’s mere presence will dictate coverages, that help get other receivers open, and loosen the box for both the RB and QB run games.

Starting Mannion off without Brown, is to handicap both Mannion and Hurts. God forbid our Offense stinks, the first thing fans and the media (local and national), will say is “Well maybe if they didn’t get rid of A.J…” Mannion deserves at least one season with Brown.

Second, (and any of you with a background in Sales can vouch for this), the Eagles aren’t pricing Brown to move. When you really want to sell an item, you make the price attractive to as many potential buyers as possible. The Eagles are doing the opposite of that. They’ve made him almost prohibitively expensive, to all but the most niche of purchasers.

Third, the consensus is that the Eagles are waiting until after June 1st, to avoid a 40M$ dead money hit. If that was really their big concern, and Brown were truly so eager to leave, they could simply re-work his deal, like they just did for K Jake Elliott and G Landon Dickerson. They could even sweeten it by adding non-void years for the next team. But they didn’t.

Fourth and finally, if the plan was to play without Brown this year, then we’d want to make sure we brought in a new weapon for Hurts. The sooner the better. The cheaper the better. That means a draft pick. Why wait until after the draft, to get a player that we’ll likely need this season? Does that sound like Howie to you? Not by a damned sight!

If the Eagles are offered an absolute haul, I think they leap at it. That being said, my money is on Brown scoring double digit touchdowns as an Eagle this season.

(Add-on: If we do move on from Brown, I like Draft prospect WR Josh Cameron, as a 4th round pick, or even as a 3rd round reach.)