Eagles’ AJ Brown Ask Justified After Jaylen Waddle-Broncos Blockbuster

The second blockbuster trade of the National Football League offseason occurred on Tuesday afternoon, but Philadelphia Eagles star AJ Brown was not included.

The first big trade of the offseason involving a receiver happened on March 5 with the Buffalo Bills acquiring DJ Moore and a fifth-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick. On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Denver Broncos are acquiring Jaylen Waddle and Miami's 2026 fourth-round pick in exchange for Denver's 2026 first-round pick and Denver's 2026 fourth-round pick. So, essentially, the Broncos get Waddle and swap fourth-round picks with the Dolphins. Miami gets an extra first- and third-round pick and swaps fourths with Denver.

The Eagles' asking price was justified

Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) reacts during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Throughout the offseason to this point, it has been reported over and over again that the Eagles have a high asking price for Brown and haven't budged. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that the Eagles want a "Quinnen Williams-like" package to even think about a deal. Williams was traded by the New York Jets to the Dallas Cowboys for a first- and second-round pick plus a player. Some have questioned whether Brown is worth this price. If Waddle is worth a deal including a first- and a third-round pick, there is no doubt at all that Brown is worth the lofty reported asking price.

Over the last two seasons, Waddle has racked up 122 catches for 1,654 yards and eight touchdowns in 31 games played. He's 27 years old and will turn 28 years old in November. In comparison, Brown hauled in 145 catches for 2,082 yards and 14 touchdowns in 28 games played. He's 28 years old and will turn 29 years old in June. Brown arguably is a top-five receiver in the NFL and had over 1,450 yards in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Waddle's best season came in 2022 when he had 1,356 yards, but he hasn't reached that level since.

Waddle is a very good receiver. But he's not at Brown's level. All this trade does is justify Howie Roseman and the Eagles' reported asking price. That doesn't mean someone will meet it, but the Eagles have not misjudged the market in the slightest so far.