Howie Roseman on taking a 2028 first-round pick for A.J. Brown: "A pick is a pick"

After the Eagles shipped receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots on Monday for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, Philadelphia G.M. Howie Roseman met with a group of reporters to discuss the move.

As Roseman see it, a first-round pick is a first-round pick, whether that pick is made in 2026, 2027, or 2028.

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“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. “We’ve always been in the mindset 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.”

Right, but many teams generally regard a future first-round pick as a current second-round pick. That said, if the Patriots struggle in 2027, the pick in 2028 will be much higher than the 31st overall pick the Eagles would have gotten in 2026.

Then there’s the difference between overall classes. At this point, no one truly knows how “good” the 2028 class will be, relative to 2027.

It’s safe to say the Eagles would have preferred a first-round pick in 2027.

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Regardless, it was a win to get any first-round pick for a player who no longer wanted to be with the Eagles, and whom the Eagles no longer wanted to keep. After months of speculation that the shelf life on the relationship had expired, the Eagles finally moved on.

“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 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.”

It’s a glass-half-full assessment of the situation. Ultimately, the Eagles got only four seasons from Brown in exchange for the first-round pick they sacrificed in 2022. And he helped them win a Super Bowl.

Still, if they’d used that selection, they could have gotten a player who could be entering his prime in 2026. Instead, after four years with Brown, they’ll get a first-round pick six years after the first-round pick they gave up to get Brown in the first place.