With Super Bowl LX set to kickoff in just over a week, the NFL offseason has begun to peak its head around the corner. While the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots prepare for the biggest game of the year, the other 30 teams have their sights set on what should be a very interesting next couple of months.
One franchise that will receive a significant amount of offseason attention will be the Las Vegas Raiders. Owners of the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the organization is widely expected to select Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Having finished with the worst record in the league, the Raiders evidently have plenty of needs outside of quarterback to fill before the beginning of the 2026 season.
One glaring necessity for Las Vegas is upgrading at wide receiver, especially with Mendoza’s imminent arrival. Given this, checking in on a specific NFC team could be an intriguing path to explore.
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When one of the NFL’s best receivers hints at possibly wanting out of his situation, a team lacking out wide must take advantage of the opportunity.
Frustration Reaching a Boiling Point
Since entering the league in 2019, A.J. Brown has been a ever-present threat against opposing defenses. In 105 career games, the three-time All-Pro has racked up 524 receptions for 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns.
However, it was quite obvious that Brown was displeased with the Eagles’ offense throughout the 2025 season. There were a multitude of issues that Brown voiced throughout the year, with two main ones being his annoyance with the unit’s overall struggles and a lack of personal involvement.
While Philadelphia knows what Brown brings to its offense, his rising sidekick, DeVonta Smith, is more than ready to blossom into the true No. 1 receiver that the team drafted him to be in 2021. Smith is arguably the best second option in the NFL, and the former Heisman winner has been a consistent model of brilliance for the organization from the beginning of his career.
As each year passes on, Brown’s trade value will subsequently decrease. With the Eagles having taken a noticeable step back in 2025, extracting maximum value out of Brown now could be the smart way to go.
Easing the Transition
If the Raiders are to accomplish what is best for Mendoza, then a move for one of the league’s premier perimeter receivers makes complete sense.
In Las Vegas, Brown would form a lethal duo with star tight end Brock Bowers for Mendoza to rely on. Additionally, Brown’s presence would force defenses to relieve numbers in the box, allowing 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty to take advantage against lighter fronts.
Brown’s average annual salary of $32 million ranks him among the three highest paid wide receivers in the NFL. Luckily, money would not be an issue for his new team, as the Raiders are estimated to have around $88 million in available cap space, good for second across the league.
One of this year’s Super Bowl participants has shown the importance of what a veteran receiver can do for a young quarterback. Last offseason, the Patriots signed Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $63.5 million contract. The move has worked wonders, as Diggs helped Maye transform into a MVP-candidate and New England averaged 262.3 passing yards per game, good for fourth-best in the NFL.
The Trade
Raiders receive: WR A.J. Brown
Eagles receive: Raiders’ second-round pick (#36)
The Raiders must be willing to offer significant draft capital to land Brown, as the Eagles would eat over $43 million in dead cap if they move him before June 1st. Additionally, with Brown locked in through the 2029 season, Philadelphia would expect premium payment for a long-term, proven commodity. With the 36th pick, the Raiders would essentially be trading away a late first-round selection.
A similar trade occurred two years ago between the Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills for the aforementioned Diggs. In the 2023 offseason, the Texans sent a second-round pick to the Bills for the receiver, a fifth-round pick, and sixth-round pick. Diggs was two years older than Brown currently is when the trade occurred, and the Bills only ate $31 million in dead cap for the transaction, so the additional late-round picks are dropped in this hypothetical.
After sending off Brown, the Eagles would have two options to fill his absence. The team could either look to add a solid yet cheaper replacement in free agency or utilize one of their top draft picks to select his successor. In this scenario, the Eagles would own the 23rd and 36th picks in the NFL Draft, meaning they would be in the predicted range to select the likes of University of Washington’s Denzel Boston, University of Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, or Texas A&M University’s KC Concepcion based on mocks.