Eagles’ Hollywood Brown on trade speculation: ‘I’m here right now just trying to play’
After signing a $5 million deal in the offseason, the veteran wide receiver has been buried on the depth chart.
It hasn’t been an easy season for Hollywood Brown.
The 29-year-old veteran has been buried on the Eagles wide receiver depth chart and his future with the team is uncertain. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday that Brown “could be traded in the coming weeks.”
Brown might get a shot Monday against the Cowboys with DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) injured, but even that’s not a guarantee with Darius Cooper playing well and the Eagles hoping to get rookie wideout Makai Lemon more involved.
After signing a one-year deal with $5 million in guarantees this offseason, Brown certainly expected to be more involved. So, how does he feel about the signing now?
» READ MORE: Eagles’ DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Dontayvion Wicks miss consecutive practices ahead of Cowboys game
“Yeah, I did,” Brown said, when asked if he thought he’d have a bigger role this season. “But I do understand. Stuff happens. I mean, you can’t take nothing personal in this business, so you kind of just got to go about your process and when that time happens, whatever happens, you just got to be ready for it.”
Brown, a 2019 first-round pick by the Ravens, noted that he “wouldn’t have handled [this situation] so well as a younger guy.” He has 4,322 yards and 33 touchdowns on 371 receptions in his eight-year career. He has yet to catch a pass for the Eagles but was credited with two rushes for 12 yards against the Titans in Week 2.
With the NFL trade deadline less than three weeks away (Nov. 10), would Brown prefer to be sent elsewhere?
“I’m here right now just trying to play,” Brown said. “I mean, of course, you want to be somewhere where you play, but ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s not my plan.
“So, I might want to play, I might contribute, but if that’s not the plan for me, you know, I can’t dwell on it too much. You’ll be unhappy and you’re taking that back home. I can’t take that back home to the wife and kids. I’ve got to try to stay as positive as I can.”
Asked if he thinks he’s handling his frustrations well, Brown said:
“Some days better than others. But like I said, it’s a good group here from my teammates. If I’m frustrated, I can go talk to the coach. Everybody hears me out. So it’s not really a bad thing. It’s kind of like, we’re all dealing with something, and we’re dealing with something as a team. So I don’t want to add that extra stress, you know?”
Even with all the injuries and ineffectiveness through six games, Sean Mannion is still a believer in the Eagles’ offense, saying the problems are “totally fixable.” The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Marcus Hayes have some thoughts on the state of Mannion’s group, as well as a defensive unit that’s also been underwhelming this season. Listen here.
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