Why the Eagles Are Better After Trading A.J .Brown (And Why They Aren't)

The Philadelphia Eagles aren't a better football team without A.J. Brown. Let's get that out of the way.

What Brown did in Philadelphia is hard to replicate. Brown is the only player in the 93-year history of the Eagles to have 5,000 receiving yards over four seasons. He earned three All-Pro selections and had 1,000-yard seasons in each of his four years in Philadelphia.

Good luck replacing that production in 2026, even if Brown has shown signs of decline.

The Eagles parted ways with an elite wide receiver, a player they believed was going to retire with the franchise and become the greatest receiver in the organization's history. The trade Monday was a sad day in the Jefferson Health Training Complex, as the Eagles didn't want to really part ways with Brown.

Brown didn't want to be in Philadelphia anymore. This reached the point of no return.

The Eagles aren't better in 2026 without Brown. This doesn't mean they aren't a Super Bowl contender, but they dealt an elite receiver in the league. There are going to be some repercussions towards trading Brown away.

While the Eagles aren't better in 2026 without Brown, they are better off going forward.

The replacement for Brown is there

The player that's actually replacing Brown is DeVonta Smith, who is under contract for three more seasons and is more than capable as a WR1. Smith is one of the top wideouts in the league and he'll get significantly more targets and opportunities to but up numbers in the Eagles' offense.

Smith is replacing Brown, but who is replacing Smith? This is where the issues ensue.

The Eagles will have a Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks as the candidates to replace Smith. Lemon has never played a down in the NFL and Wicks was essentially cast off in Green Bay.

Both players are also learning a new offense and will be relied upon to be as productive as Smith in year one. That's just unrealistic when looking at Smith's production over the last four years -- and this was with Brown as the WR1.

Smith isn't the player to be concerned about. He's going to be productive in this offense and shine as a WR1. The lingering questions involve Lemon and Wicks.

How fast can Lemon develop? How long can Wicks hold Lemon off? Can either player get open enough for it to matter?

The Eagles are better going forward

The Eagles still have an excellent roster, even without A.J. Brown as the WR1. The wide receiver group isn't as good in 2026, but there is a lot of hope for the position in the long term.

Smith is only 27 years old and heading into the prime of his career. The Eagles are going to have Smith as a WR1 for that prime, the centerpiece of a passing game whether Jalen Hurts is in Philadelphia or not (and that's up to the Eagles).

Lemon was a top-15 player on the Eagles' draft board for a reason. The Eagles can use the 2026 season to develop Lemon as more than a slot player and have him learn the other receiver positions.

Wicks will get more of an opportunity in Philadelphia, as this is a trial run to see if he can play in 2026. He'll get an opportunity at more targets this season and can parlay that into a good WR3 in 2027 (at the very least). If Wicks is the same player he was in Green Bay, the Eagles are worse at wide receiver and they move on.

This is where the first-round pick is key. Whether it's 2027 or 2028, the Eagles will have collateral to build their offense. That's three first-round picks at their disposal to build at wide reciever, running back, or replenish their offensive line.

The Eagles have their WR1 and WR2 for the future in Smith and Lemon. Barkley may only have one for two more years in Philadelphia while Landon Dickerson is an injury away from calling it a career.

Oh, and Lane Johnson is also 35 years old.

This is the start of a transition phase for the Eagles. They are still a Super Bowl contender and can compete in the NFC. Are they as good as the Rams and Seahawks? Probably not, but that's why they play the games.

Trading A.J. Brown doesn't help the Eagles in 2026. For 2027 and beyond, it does.

The Eagles will be fine going forward.

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