The Eagles Fleeced the Titans in the A.J. Brown Trade
Back when the Eagles traded for A.J. Brown on draft night, most people thought it was a rather fair deal. Tennessee and he couldn’t see eye-to-eye and it was clear that Brown wasn’t going to play unless he got a new contract, one they seemingly didn’t want to pay. All in all, getting a first and third round pick seemed like a good consolation, right?
Wrong, like, very wrong. I know we’re only eight weeks into the season, but it’s already quite clear that the Eagles far and away came out as the winners in this trade. Brown has hauled in 39 receptions for 659 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. He is also currently on pace to finish the year with 1600 yards, which would be a franchise record.
But aside from the absurd stats is the fact that Brown has been a security blanket for Jalen Hurts. From the very first game, it’s clear that the two have been in sync. And it looks like Brown has been the secret weapon that Hurts has needed to take that next step in his development.
The Eagle’s offense this year has looked much more dynamic than even last year. A large reason for that has been the addition of Brown and the ability he has to take the top off a defense. He gives the Eagles that true outside threat that they have been looking for years now and should aid in the development of Hurts.
Why Is This Trade So One-Sided?
But in order for this trade to fleece, it would have to imply that the Titans didn’t get much value in return. And while we won’t know what value they will get with the third round pick just yet, we can look at Treylon Burks, who was taken with the pick the Titians acquired in trading him. Coming into the draft, Burks raised a lot of questions. He had a great frame for a wide receiver but struggled to be an elite runner and many questioned what his role on an NFL team would be.
And although Burks has been out these past few weeks with turf toe, the games he has played have left little to be impressed with and has people asking even more questions about his role in the league. The rookie has 10 receptions for 129 yards and has yet to find the end zone yet. Burks has looked many steps away from being that true No. 1 receiver the Titians hoped he would be — especially in comparison to the monster season A.J. Brown is having.
How Will This Trade Play Out?
Most times when teams make a trade it usually ends up evening out in the long run. Even if a team is initially getting fleeced, over time we usually see the trade regress back to the mean.
But in the case of the A.J. Brown trade, I don’t see how this trade could even out any time soon. Brown has looked like one of the best receivers in the game and when watching the Titans play, it’s clear that they miss his presence. Maybe Burks will emerge at some point and be that true lead guy or maybe the Titans will hit on that 3rd round draft pick.
Regardless, I very much doubt that production will ever match that of Brown’s. So, for the time being, the Eagles have absolutely fleeced the Titans and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change anytime soon.
Subscribe to the Vendetta YouTube!!
Also buy some merch from our shop!
