When the long-awaited A.J. Brown trade to New England , the compensation the Eagles received seemed a bit less than initially anticipated.
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.
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.
However, that's not how Roseman is mathing out the problem.
"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, . "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."
With all due respect to Roseman, one of the best GMs in the NFL, that's hellish spin.
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.
The Eagles got less in return for Brown than the Dolphins did for Jaylen Waddle -- 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.
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.
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.
"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."
Roseman got his first-round pick. He just has to wait a while before he can actually spend it.
