The Eagles’ saga with A.J. Brown is finally over. His trade to the Patriots gives way to questions for both parties.

What else more can be said about a trade that moved in excruciating slow motion for months? Every angle had been explored. Every possible justification argued over and over. Every wild claim made. It’s been exhausting.

It was a story with various twists and turns, but in the end the Eagles’ trade that sent wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots happened for all the reasons that had been obvious for some time.

He was no longer happy in Philadelphia and wanted to continue his career elsewhere. The Eagles were willing to expedite his wishes as long as they received compensation they deemed fair.

There’s more to the story, of course. The Eagles wouldn’t have moved Brown if they weren’t open to the idea. A solid if not eye-popping return — a 2028 first-round draft pick and 2027 fifth-round choice — showed the ultimate value they placed on the soon-to-be 29-year old as he enters his eighth season.

And Brown might not have wanted to leave if the destination didn’t suit his preferences. He released a statement after the trade became official on Monday afternoon thanking “Eagles Nation.” But any explanation about leaving was missing. He’ll get his day eventually.

That left Eagles general manager Howie Roseman as the lone public voice on the subject. And just as he had done following the departure of other high-profile players who left under less-than-desirable circumstances in recent years — like Carson Wentz and Haason Reddick — he chose his words carefully when asked why.

“I think that when we looked at the totality of the circumstances and having the conversations we had with him, felt like where we were, where we were going, where he was,” Roseman said during a Zoom interview with Eagles beat reporters, “that if we could find something that kind of achieved our goals of getting a first-round pick going forward here in the near future, getting the money back to spend on other players on our team and other teams, it was a win-win situation.”

» READ MORE: DeVonta Smith won’t replace A.J. Brown. The question is whether the Eagles will need him to.

Roseman has won his share of trades. He’s even lost a few. But rarely do both sides “win.” The GM went into the offseason asking for at least a first- and second-rounder, NFL sources said. That always appeared excessive, but the Eagles having to wait two draft cycles for the centerpiece of the compensation doesn’t seem ideal.

While the framework for the swap was set before April’s draft, per sources, Roseman said he always wanted a future pick. The Patriots had the 31st overall selection in a 2026 class that many NFL evaluators deemed weak. The Eagles also had more to gain in waiting until post-June 1, so that an approximate $43 million dead money hit against the salary cap could be spread out over two seasons rather than one.

“It made some sense for us to look at future picks,” Roseman said. “We do scout future drafts, not just the ‘26 draft — ‘27, ‘28. And I think for us, we’ve always been in the mindset … a first-round pick’s a first-round pick. Doesn’t matter. Team’s still going to be playing football in 2028.”

And Roseman will likely still be GM. His permanency has afforded the Eagles some luxury when it comes to long-term planning. Roseman likely preferred a first-rounder in a 2027 draft that is expected to be deep. But he said the Eagles expect the 2028 group to be as strong.

A lot can change, of course. Roseman is also gambling that the Patriots’ first-rounder will be lower than it was this year, after they lost the Super Bowl in coach Mike Vrabel’s first season. Those odds are decent.

But the Eagles’ return is still less than the Dolphins received for wideout Jaylen Waddle in March. Waddle is 19 months younger than Brown, but there isn’t an evaluator in the NFL who has them on the same level. And yet, the Broncos sent a 2026 first (30th overall), third (No. 94) and fourth (No. 130) to Miami for Waddle and a 2026 fourth (No. 111).

» READ MORE: Good riddance: Superdiva wideout A.J. Brown’s talents couldn’t compensate for all of the headaches

Still, Roseman got his first-rounder — and a fifth-round sweetener presumably late in negotiations — and could conceivably use the 2028 pick next year if he wants to move up in the 2027 draft for a prospect at a premium position.

He could also use it to trade for a known commodity, just as he did four years ago when he acquired Brown. It was a bold move just a year after the Eagles had drafted DeVonta Smith in the first round. But it gave a young Jalen Hurts one of the best receiving duos in the league.

The quarterback had his best seasons then, and since, as Brown flourished as the No. 1 target. But a near-miss in the Super Bowl led to regression in 2023 and the mercurial receiver started to sound alarms about the passing offense.

He dropped further hints about his dissatisfaction even as the Eagles made their run — pun intended — to a title in 2024. Running back Saquon Barkley and a dominant offensive line inspired the philosophical switch to a ground-heavy attack at midseason.

But Hurts’ mobility had always made the offense run-based. His inability to make necessary progress as a passer to offset defensive focus on Barkley and the run game last season were central to the worst offensive performance since Nick Sirianni became head coach.

There were a host of other reasons for the decline, from having a first-time offensive coordinator in Kevin Patullo to the struggles of an injury-plagued O-line. But Brown allowed the overall dysfunction to affect his performance.

He dropped more passes than ever. Occasionally gave poor effort on routes and blocking. He also looked a smidge slower, which could have factored into his mentality.

“He heard what others on the outside were saying about him losing a step and I think he got too preoccupied with that,” a player source said. “We didn’t think that in here. But he saw Jalen and the pass offense as keeping him from proving that wasn’t the case.”

Brown laid his objectives out before the season when he was asked what there was left for him to prove. He’d won a championship. He had individual accolades. But he said he was now focused on his legacy.

He may need a few more 1,000-yard seasons to be a bona fide Hall of Fame candidate. The Patriots may get two more high-quality years out of Brown, even if there are questions about his chronic knees. The Rams backed out of deal with the Eagles after they got a look of his medicals, two league sources said.

“His production and durability has been off the charts successful for us, so I didn’t have any concerns about that, and obviously you know I can’t speak to anything other than our experiences with A.J.,” Roseman said when asked about Brown’s knees and if it impacted talks with the Rams.

The Patriots were always the likely suitors, though, and pending a physical, will get the No. 1 receiving threat they lacked last season. A new environment playing for a favorite coach with a gunslinging quarterback in Drake Maye could spur a rebound from Brown. The Eagles, for their part, get a bit of a reset themselves. They were slated to go into next season with 10 returning starters from an uninspiring offense.

A new coordinator and changes in scheme offer change, but Roseman expended the Eagles’ first three draft picks on offense, the top two coming at skill positions with receiver Makai Lemon and tight end Eli Stowers.

Smith, Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert also return, and receivers Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks were added in the offseason. But the Eagles would be hard- pressed to say they are better now than they were with Brown.

The $133.1 million Roseman saves in future cash spending by moving on from Brown’s contract will help him when he presumably signs homegrown talent like defensive tackle Jalen Carter, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and defensive back Cooper DeJean to extensions. But the Eagles weren’t celebrating at team headquarters on Monday.

“You have a feel for the player, and what he’s done for your team,” Roseman said, “and it’s hard to pull the trigger.”

Brown burnt the candle out at both ends. For most of his four years in Philly, he gave off a lovely light. But ultimately, it didn’t last.

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A.J. Brown is officially an Eagle no more! We knew the move was coming for weeks, if not months, but that doesn't make the departure of the Pro Bowl wide receiver and Super Bowl champion any less jarring. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane and David Murphy react to general manager Howie Roseman's trade with the New England Patriots. Listen here.

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