Patriots 2026-27 Off Season

[Vermont Green]

I had to look up the details of AJ Brown's contract and why the June 1 date is so important.  My understanding is that if he is traded before June 1, they have to absorb his full signing bonus this coming season but if traded after June 1, it can be spread over 2 seasons:

Key Contract Changes (As of 2026 season):

Pre-June 1 Trade: The Eagles face a devastating  $43 million dead cap hit.

Post-June 1 Trade: The dead cap hit drops to $16.4 million in 2026, with the remaining $27 million+ deferred to 2027.

Salary Relief: A trade after June 1 actually saves the team over $7M on the 2026 cap.

I don't know all the details around this, but this is a pretty compelling reason to trade him after June 1.  I don't know what PHI would want in return.  They are a win now team but all the talk is draft picks.  I am not sure how it would work but NE could trade the rights to 2026 #1 to PHI in June, I don't believe there is any rule against this, but the deal would need to be settled on including who the Pats would pick for PHI.  I don't see why this would reduce what PHI expects as return for him.

[Roy H.]

I had to look up the details of AJ Brown's contract and why the June 1 date is so important.  My understanding is that if he is traded before June 1, they have to absorb his full signing bonus this coming season but if traded after June 1, it can be spread over 2 seasons:

Key Contract Changes (As of 2026 season):

Pre-June 1 Trade: The Eagles face a devastating  $43 million dead cap hit.

Post-June 1 Trade: The dead cap hit drops to $16.4 million in 2026, with the remaining $27 million+ deferred to 2027.

Salary Relief: A trade after June 1 actually saves the team over $7M on the 2026 cap.

I don't know all the details around this, but this is a pretty compelling reason to trade him after June 1.  I don't know what PHI would want in return.  They are a win now team but all the talk is draft picks.  I am not sure how it would work but NE could trade the rights to 2026 #1 to PHI in June, I don't believe there is any rule against this, but the deal would need to be settled on including who the Pats would pick for PHI.  I don't see why this would reduce what PHI expects as return for him.

Why trade him at all if it's going to wreck their cap this year or next?

[Vermont Green]

I had to look up the details of AJ Brown's contract and why the June 1 date is so important.  My understanding is that if he is traded before June 1, they have to absorb his full signing bonus this coming season but if traded after June 1, it can be spread over 2 seasons:

Key Contract Changes (As of 2026 season):

Pre-June 1 Trade: The Eagles face a devastating  $43 million dead cap hit.

Post-June 1 Trade: The dead cap hit drops to $16.4 million in 2026, with the remaining $27 million+ deferred to 2027.

Salary Relief: A trade after June 1 actually saves the team over $7M on the 2026 cap.

I don't know all the details around this, but this is a pretty compelling reason to trade him after June 1.  I don't know what PHI would want in return.  They are a win now team but all the talk is draft picks.  I am not sure how it would work but NE could trade the rights to 2026 #1 to PHI in June, I don't believe there is any rule against this, but the deal would need to be settled on including who the Pats would pick for PHI.  I don't see why this would reduce what PHI expects as return for him.

Why trade him at all if it's going to wreck their cap this year or next?

Fair question. Even the after June 1 dead cap hits are pretty big for a team trying to win now. 

[Goldstar88]

I had to look up the details of AJ Brown's contract and why the June 1 date is so important.  My understanding is that if he is traded before June 1, they have to absorb his full signing bonus this coming season but if traded after June 1, it can be spread over 2 seasons:

Key Contract Changes (As of 2026 season):

Pre-June 1 Trade: The Eagles face a devastating  $43 million dead cap hit.

Post-June 1 Trade: The dead cap hit drops to $16.4 million in 2026, with the remaining $27 million+ deferred to 2027.

Salary Relief: A trade after June 1 actually saves the team over $7M on the 2026 cap.

I don't know all the details around this, but this is a pretty compelling reason to trade him after June 1.  I don't know what PHI would want in return.  They are a win now team but all the talk is draft picks.  I am not sure how it would work but NE could trade the rights to 2026 #1 to PHI in June, I don't believe there is any rule against this, but the deal would need to be settled on including who the Pats would pick for PHI.  I don't see why this would reduce what PHI expects as return for him.

Why trade him at all if it's going to wreck their cap this year or next?

Fair question. Even the after June 1 dead cap hits are pretty big for a team trying to win now.

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/e6o3YibWjM0

[Phantom255x]

If they don't get AJ Brown, and Diggs is unsigned, I'd just bring back Diggs on another 1-year deal. If you add Doubs to last year's WR room (or AJ Brown + Doubs with Diggs leaving) that's actually huge. But it can't just be Doubs.

Also it hit me, Tyreek Hill is still unsigned. That's interesting. A Chiefs reunion feels obvious but surprised it hasn't happened yet.

[Donoghus]

Also it hit me, Tyreek Hill is still unsigned. That's interesting. A Chiefs reunion feels obvious but surprised it hasn't happened yet.

Don't want that absolute POS on this Pats team.  Awful human being.

[Goldstar88]

I had to look up the details of AJ Brown's contract and why the June 1 date is so important.  My understanding is that if he is traded before June 1, they have to absorb his full signing bonus this coming season but if traded after June 1, it can be spread over 2 seasons:

Key Contract Changes (As of 2026 season):

Pre-June 1 Trade: The Eagles face a devastating  $43 million dead cap hit.

Post-June 1 Trade: The dead cap hit drops to $16.4 million in 2026, with the remaining $27 million+ deferred to 2027.

Salary Relief: A trade after June 1 actually saves the team over $7M on the 2026 cap.

I don't know all the details around this, but this is a pretty compelling reason to trade him after June 1.  I don't know what PHI would want in return.  They are a win now team but all the talk is draft picks.  I am not sure how it would work but NE could trade the rights to 2026 #1 to PHI in June, I don't believe there is any rule against this, but the deal would need to be settled on including who the Pats would pick for PHI.  I don't see why this would reduce what PHI expects as return for him.

Why trade him at all if it's going to wreck their cap this year or next?

Fair question. Even the after June 1 dead cap hits are pretty big for a team trying to win now.

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/e6o3YibWjM0

ESPN?s Adam Schefter disclosed that A.J. Brown has communicated a desire to leave Philadelphia, marking a turning point in ongoing trade talks. Brown?s relationship with the Eagles has soured, with sideline tensions last season adding to the friction.

[BitterJim]

I had to look up the details of AJ Brown's contract and why the June 1 date is so important.  My understanding is that if he is traded before June 1, they have to absorb his full signing bonus this coming season but if traded after June 1, it can be spread over 2 seasons:

Key Contract Changes (As of 2026 season):

Pre-June 1 Trade: The Eagles face a devastating  $43 million dead cap hit.

Post-June 1 Trade: The dead cap hit drops to $16.4 million in 2026, with the remaining $27 million+ deferred to 2027.

Salary Relief: A trade after June 1 actually saves the team over $7M on the 2026 cap.

I don't know all the details around this, but this is a pretty compelling reason to trade him after June 1.  I don't know what PHI would want in return.  They are a win now team but all the talk is draft picks.  I am not sure how it would work but NE could trade the rights to 2026 #1 to PHI in June, I don't believe there is any rule against this, but the deal would need to be settled on including who the Pats would pick for PHI.  I don't see why this would reduce what PHI expects as return for him.

Why trade him at all if it's going to wreck their cap this year or next?

They have to pay him that money whether he's on the roster or off of it, so it comes down to whether or not they think he's worth the money they'd save from trading him. That seems to be ~$7 million this year, so it's not like they could replace him with that money. They'd have to value the money plus the picks they get in return higher than Brown, but the trade would be taking place after the draft so the picks would be almost a year out.

I can definitely see the Eagles trading him, but if they do it'll make their team next year worse and the compensation will have to make up for it.

[Vermont Green]

I have no idea how NFL contracts work, in particular AJ Brown's.  Can anyone explain it?

In April 2024, A.J. Brown signed a 3 year, $96,000,000 contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, including $19,875,000 signing bonus, $84,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $32,000,000. In 2026, Brown will earn a base salary of $1,300,000, a signing bonus of $27,450,000 and a workout bonus of $250,000, while carrying a cap hit of $23,393,497 and a dead cap value of $76,515,106.

Contract Notes
1.  $51M guaranteed at signing (signing bonus + 2024 salary + 2025 compensation)
2.  $29M 2026 compensation fully guarantees 3/14/2025
3.  $4M of 2027 salary fully guarantees the 3rd league day of 2026
4.  2025 Option Bonus: $28.58M (guaranteed)
5.  2026 Option Bonus: $27.45M
6.  2027 Option Bonus: $19.405M
7.  2028 Option Bonus: $29.36M
8.  2029 Option Bonus: $28.315M
9.  2028 Roster Bonus: $1M (3rd league day of 2028)
10. 2029 Roster Bonus: $1M (3rd league day of 2029
11. 2030-2034 years automatically void 23 days before the start of the 2030 league year

Note 2, I assume the 2026 salary is already fully guaranteed, but what does note 5 mean does that supersede note 2 or the other way around?

How long does his contract run?  When do the "options" start and whose options are they?  Are the Team options?  So the Pats can get out of this after 2026 if they want?

[Donoghus]

I have no idea how NFL contracts work, in particular AJ Brown's.  Can anyone explain it?

In April 2024, A.J. Brown signed a 3 year, $96,000,000 contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, including $19,875,000 signing bonus, $84,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $32,000,000. In 2026, Brown will earn a base salary of $1,300,000, a signing bonus of $27,450,000 and a workout bonus of $250,000, while carrying a cap hit of $23,393,497 and a dead cap value of $76,515,106.

Contract Notes
1.  $51M guaranteed at signing (signing bonus + 2024 salary + 2025 compensation)
2.  $29M 2026 compensation fully guarantees 3/14/2025
3.  $4M of 2027 salary fully guarantees the 3rd league day of 2026
4.  2025 Option Bonus: $28.58M (guaranteed)
5.  2026 Option Bonus: $27.45M
6.  2027 Option Bonus: $19.405M
7.  2028 Option Bonus: $29.36M
8.  2029 Option Bonus: $28.315M
9.  2028 Roster Bonus: $1M (3rd league day of 2028)
10. 2029 Roster Bonus: $1M (3rd league day of 2029
11. 2030-2034 years automatically void 23 days before the start of the 2030 league year

Note 2, I assume the 2026 salary is already fully guaranteed, but what does note 5 mean does that supersede note 2 or the other way around?

How long does his contract run?  When do the "options" start and whose options are they?  Are the Team options?  So the Pats can get out of this after 2026 if they want?

My understanding is that they're team options at future dates.  When the player hits that date, money can get converted from salary to option bonus which can then be spread out over the remaining years of the contract thus lowering the current year cap hit. The downside is that it creates more dead money down the road on the cap.   So options bonuses, unlike signing bonuses, don't kick in until future dates.  The problem is that if you cut or trade the guy, the cap hit from those bonuses accelerate and count against the cap immediately.

[Vermont Green]

Rickey Scoops posted that a trade between the Eagles and the Patriots has been agreed to for A.J. Brown and will be official on June 2, 2026. However, right after he posted about the trade, he deleted his X account once again. Scoops has a history of getting things right in the NFL, but his repeated account deletions raise questions about his accuracy.

I don't know much about Rickey Scoops, but he has a long list of things that he has gotten right pertaining to NFL deals.

For reference, last season, here is the list of everything he got right during the 2025 offseason:


Wide receiver Amari Cooper's return to the Las Vegas Raiders
Wide receiver Adam Thielen's return to the Minnesota Vikings
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin's deal with the Washington Commanders
Running back Brian Robinson and the San Francisco 49ers trade
The Denver Broncos extension for defensive end Zach Allen
The Kansas City Chiefs' extension for defensive end George Karlaftis
The record Pittsburgh Steelers extension for outside linebacker T.J. Watt
The record Chiefs extension for guard Trey Smith
The New York Jets' extension for cornerback Sauce Gardner
The Steelers having interest in cornerback Jalen Ramsey
The Steelers signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers
The 49ers' extension for linebacker Fred Warner
The Cowboys' wide receiver George Pickens trade

[BitterJim]

Rickey Scoops posted that a trade between the Eagles and the Patriots has been agreed to for A.J. Brown and will be official on June 2, 2026. However, right after he posted about the trade, he deleted his X account once again. Scoops has a history of getting things right in the NFL, but his repeated account deletions raise questions about his accuracy.

I don't know much about Rickey Scoops, but he has a long list of things that he has gotten right pertaining to NFL deals.

For reference, last season, here is the list of everything he got right during the 2025 offseason:


Wide receiver Amari Cooper's return to the Las Vegas Raiders
Wide receiver Adam Thielen's return to the Minnesota Vikings
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin's deal with the Washington Commanders
Running back Brian Robinson and the San Francisco 49ers trade
The Denver Broncos extension for defensive end Zach Allen
The Kansas City Chiefs' extension for defensive end George Karlaftis
The record Pittsburgh Steelers extension for outside linebacker T.J. Watt
The record Chiefs extension for guard Trey Smith
The New York Jets' extension for cornerback Sauce Gardner
The Steelers having interest in cornerback Jalen Ramsey
The Steelers signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers
The 49ers' extension for linebacker Fred Warner
The Cowboys' wide receiver George Pickens trade

A long list of "predicted" deals doesn't mean anything if there's an even longer list of deals that never happened

[boscel33]

Whatever the deal is they're offering to the Eagles, I send to AZ for MHJ, maybe I sweeten it a tiny bit.

[Goldstar88]

Whatever the deal is they're offering to the Eagles, I send to AZ for MHJ, maybe I sweeten it a tiny bit.

Why would AZ trade MHJ? He?s in his early 20s and has a ton of upside.