21 minutes ago, Mike31mt said:

I'm gonna be rooting so hard for AJ Brown to fail if he does end up in New England. Very few players have ever worn out their welcome quicker than he has for me.

I can appreciate a receiver wanting the ball more, especially elite players who want to be viewed as the best at his position. That means targets and production. I can even understand that after a win. I’m sure it’s annoying to run a bunch of wind sprints and come away with the ball thrown your direction 5 times.

What always got me though was not long after winning the Super Bowl he was like, "That was cool, I guess, but what I really love is beating the man across from me.” Even if you think that, don’t put that out there. You won the damn Super Bowl.

15 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

I can appreciate a receiver wanting the ball more, especially elite players who want to be viewed as the best at his position. That means targets and production. I can even understand that after a win. I’m sure it’s annoying to run a bunch of wind sprints and come away with the ball thrown your direction 5 times.

What always got me though was not long after winning the Super Bowl he was like, "That was cool, I guess, but what I really love is beating the man across from me.” Even if you think that, don’t put that out there. You won the damn Super Bowl.

There's no argument to be made for AJ Brown see this point. Clearly he wants out.

But I think that quote is misconstrued by a lot of fans that dont understand an elite athletes mindset.

Its about being in love with the process more than winning. I believe other players expressed the same thing but in different words.

2 hours ago, Eagles1960 said:

Stribling is actually a very good replacement for Jauan Jennings. Same big body and both block their asses off. Both do the dirty work. Stribling is much fater than Jennings. I can see why SF drafted him #33. No other team would have done that. I am surprised nobody has signed Jennings.

The 9ers also drafted Ricky Pearsall in 2024 at the end of the 1st, who has slot/Z capability. Stribling is bigger and faster, has Z/X versatility and is a RAC threat. I think SF knows what they’re doing, and building a room where the WRs can motion into different roles and have the capability to attack the entire field.

While SF seems to be drafting for their scheme, it appears to me Howie was trying to play the BPA game at positions of need but the fit isn’t as clear.

15 hours ago, ManuManu said:

Is that the dude who used to post on the old Eagles message board?

I believe so.

10 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I believe so.

Yup. Was the resident cap expert.

I need to vent. It’s not about any individual poster. But it’s just the collective buy in of the narrative that gets shoveled.

A year ago, when AJ goes out of his way to be seen reading a book on the sidelines and constantly tweets passive aggressive BS about the team, the vast majority help sell the narrative that it’s fine, that it helps him get in the right state of mind, that tons of stuff happens on the sidelines, and the deconstruction of each cryptic tweet to explain how it’s actually fine. He’s a good teammate and this is all manufactured by the media. Now that he’s good as gone, it’s addition by subtraction, he’s the worst ever, he would have torn apart the team.

The Eagles are a franchise that has evolved to the point of generally doing the right and smart thing, but you don’t have to forfeit your independent thought and guzzle every idea they serve up.

44 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

There's no argument to be made for AJ Brown see this point. Clearly he wants out.

But I think that quote is misconstrued by a lot of fans that dont understand an elite athletes mindset.

It’s about being in love with the process more than winning. I believe other players expressed the same thing but in different words.

It’s how he communicates that process that is the problem. Nothing wrong with the obsessive sentiment that you care about the next route more than the SB.

10 minutes ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

Yup. Was the resident cap expert.

I think his username started with 354 or 345.

And yes, its nice to see someone from the old EMB get a role in the NFL.

56 minutes ago, Waiting4Someday said:

The 9ers also drafted Ricky Pearsall in 2024 at the end of the 1st, who has slot/Z capability. Stribling is bigger and faster, has Z/X versatility and is a RAC threat. I think SF knows what they’re doing, and building a room where the WRs can motion into different roles and have the capability to attack the entire field.

While SF seems to be drafting for their scheme, it appears to me Howie was trying to play the BPA game at positions of need but the fit isn’t as clear.

The fit is VERY clear with Lemon. He’s a slot receiver the same way DeJean is NCB.

Can both play other positions? Yes. But both are at their best in the slot. And both have clear, key roles in their respective schemes.

51 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

There's no argument to be made for AJ Brown see this point. Clearly he wants out.

But I think that quote is misconstrued by a lot of fans that dont understand an elite athletes mindset.

Its about being in love with the process more than winning. I believe other players expressed the same thing but in different words.

I don't think it's being misconstrued. AJ just isn't a fit for the Sirianni culture. Football is a team sport. If you can't put the team's needs ahead of your own agenda, then you are blessed with talent in the wrong sport. Barkley is an elite athlete and he bought in to the culture. Hurts is an elite athlete and winning is above all else.

A team will always have a few people that don't fully "buy in." But those players should never be team captains just because of their talent. That was the biggest issue with AJ.

11 hours ago, ManuManu said:

Remember when the Eagles liked Jalen Reagor more than Justin Jefferson.

20 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I need to vent. It’s not about any individual poster. But it’s just the collective buy in of the narrative that gets shoveled.

A year ago, when AJ goes out of his way to be seen reading a book on the sidelines and constantly tweets passive aggressive BS about the team, the vast majority help sell the narrative that it’s fine, that it helps him get in the right state of mind, that tons of stuff happens on the sidelines, and the deconstruction of each cryptic tweet to explain how it’s actually fine. He’s a good teammate and this is all manufactured by the media. Now that he’s good as gone, it’s addition by subtraction, he’s the worst ever, he would have torn apart the team.

The Eagles are a franchise that has evolved to the point of generally doing the right and smart thing, but you don’t have to forfeit your independent thought and guzzle every idea they serve up.

I didn't mind AJ's antics when he was still playing well.

Now he's a step slower and let his frustration affect his on field performance.

So that's why we're fine with him leaving. 2022 AJ Brown is never returning.

That ESPN article that came out some weeks back gave major questions on if Hurts fully buys in. For one, he stopped running, which negatively impacts the offense. But if reports are true of him not wanting to run specific things then he’s negatively affecting the ability to win and he’s not buying in.

Maybe that’s in part why AJ Brown would prefer to play in some other offenses right now. And on truth serum I wonder how many other offensive players would say the same, the difference is AJ has no filter and the other guys do.

14 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Remember when everything wasn't online.

6 minutes ago, RLC said:

I didn't mind AJ's antics when he was still playing well.

Now he's a step slower and let his frustration affect his on field performance.

So that's why we're fine with him leaving. 2022 AJ Brown is never returning.

Yep. It was more than tolerable when he was elite. Last year he didn’t play like an elite player, whether he lost or step or his effort waned on a route to route basis.

2 hours ago, Mike31mt said:

I'm gonna be rooting so hard for AJ Brown to fail if he does end up in New England. Very few players have ever worn out their welcome quicker than he has for me.

Will you cry if Brown has 1k+ yards on his new team?

I still think there’s a lot more to come on the AJ Brown saga. If it’s truly all about his own legend then the Patriots wouldn’t be his first choice. It would be the Bills, Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens, Rams. There’s definitely more to the story. Whether it’s a personal beef with Hurts or he thinks Sirianni is a clown or whatever it is.

It’s not like he put up 700 yards a year here. He was one of the most productive WRs in the NFL. And they won a lot.

Regardless of what you think of what he wants or if he’s lost a little bit of a step, he’s a better WR than Hurts is a QB and also IMO Sirianni is a coach. Hurts has been average since 2022 ended. That’s the biggest problem with the team right now. And I hope for the team’s sake and Howie’s sake he did lose a step, because if this trade goes down and he goes to the Patriots and goes hog wild, it’s going to make everyone involved in this offense look even worse. That’s why Howie better get that 2027 1st. No excuses. Having to wait two years to get a return on the best WR in team history would be a colossal joke. Unless it’s like a 2027 2nd and a 2028 1st. I could tolerate that.

37 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I need to vent. It’s not about any individual poster. But it’s just the collective buy in of the narrative that gets shoveled.

A year ago, when AJ goes out of his way to be seen reading a book on the sidelines and constantly tweets passive aggressive BS about the team, the vast majority help sell the narrative that it’s fine, that it helps him get in the right state of mind, that tons of stuff happens on the sidelines, and the deconstruction of each cryptic tweet to explain how it’s actually fine. He’s a good teammate and this is all manufactured by the media. Now that he’s good as gone, it’s addition by subtraction, he’s the worst ever, he would have torn apart the team.

The Eagles are a franchise that has evolved to the point of generally doing the right and smart thing, but you don’t have to forfeit your independent thought and guzzle every idea they serve up.

It's not about independent thought. It's about moving on and not whining. Case in point I certainly wouldn't have said Sean Mannion was a good outcome of the OC search before it started. Now I hope for the best case scenario and look forward to the newness. I don't see that as being a homer so much as not dwelling on things and hoping for the best so I get more enjoyment out of the season

49 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I need to vent. It’s not about any individual poster. But it’s just the collective buy in of the narrative that gets shoveled.

A year ago, when AJ goes out of his way to be seen reading a book on the sidelines and constantly tweets passive aggressive BS about the team, the vast majority help sell the narrative that it’s fine, that it helps him get in the right state of mind, that tons of stuff happens on the sidelines, and the deconstruction of each cryptic tweet to explain how it’s actually fine. He’s a good teammate and this is all manufactured by the media. Now that he’s good as gone, it’s addition by subtraction, he’s the worst ever, he would have torn apart the team.

The Eagles are a franchise that has evolved to the point of generally doing the right and smart thing, but you don’t have to forfeit your independent thought and guzzle every idea they serve up.

I don’t think the AJ factions have changed much. Most that thought his antics were ridiculous at the time, still do, and vice versa. At least that’s what I’ve gathered from reading.

13 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

I still think there’s a lot more to come on the AJ Brown saga. If it’s truly all about his own legend then the Patriots wouldn’t be his first choice. It would be the Bills, Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens, Rams. There’s definitely more to the story. Whether it’s a personal beef with Hurts or he thinks Sirianni is a clown or whatever it is.

It’s not like he put up 700 yards a year here. He was one of the most productive WRs in the NFL. And they won a lot.

Regardless of what you think of what he wants or if he’s lost a little bit of a step, he’s a better WR than Hurts is a QB and also IMO Sirianni is a coach. Hurts has been average since 2022 ended. That’s the biggest problem with the team right now. And I hope for the team’s sake and Howie’s sake he did lose a step, because if this trade goes down and he goes to the Patriots and goes hog wild, it’s going to make everyone involved in this offense look even worse. That’s why Howie better get that 2027 1st. No excuses. Having to wait two years to get a return on the best WR in team history would be a colossal joke. Unless it’s like a 2027 2nd and a 2028 1st. I could tolerate that.

He's a diva WR like so many before him. I'm not even saying that in a terrible way. It just is what it is. These guys want their own stats more than they want the team to win. They mask it by saying that getting them the ball is the best way to win but you've seen him not happy when they did win.

16 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

He's a diva WR like so many before him. I'm not even saying that in a terrible way. It just is what it is. These guys want their own stats more than they want the team to win. They mask it by saying that getting them the ball is the best way to win but you've seen him not happy when they did win.

But I don't think any logical person could think the Patriots are a surefire place to get better stats than the Eagles. Maye isn't proven and they don't have some elite offense. If it was playing with Allen, Mahomes, Burrow it would make a lot more sense. I think there are other things at play other than just wanting stats.

41 minutes ago, TEW said:

The fit is VERY clear with Lemon. He’s a slot receiver the same way DeJean is NCB.

Can both play other positions? Yes. But both are at their best in the slot. And both have clear, key roles in their respective schemes.

Lemon is clearly a slot, but who is he mirroring in the SF/GB/LAR schemes. Stowers is clearly a F type, not Kittles or Kraft or the slew of Y types that the Rams are amassing. Bell is not in the same zip code as a OZ lineman.

So, to my point - it appears that Howie is collecting players that are not a match to what we thought Mannion is selling.

6 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

I still think there’s a lot more to come on the AJ Brown saga. If it’s truly all about his own legend then the Patriots wouldn’t be his first choice. It would be the Bills, Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens, Rams. There’s definitely more to the story. Whether it’s a personal beef with Hurts or he thinks Sirianni is a clown or whatever it is.

It’s not like he put up 700 yards a year here. He was one of the most productive WRs in the NFL. And they won a lot.

Regardless of what you think of what he wants or if he’s lost a little bit of a step, he’s a better WR than Hurts is a QB and also IMO Sirianni is a coach. Hurts has been average since 2022 ended. That’s the biggest problem with the team right now. And I hope for the team’s sake and Howie’s sake he did lose a step, because if this trade goes down and he goes to the Patriots and goes hog wild, it’s going to make everyone involved in this offense look even worse. That’s why Howie better get that 2027 1st. No excuses. Having to wait two years to get a return on the best WR in team history would be a colossal joke.

I don't think it's bad blood with Hurts or Sirianni that is driving the trade request. This is about money. AJ wants another big money deal. If his productivity here is where it has been the last 2 seasons, he's not going to be able to get a big deal. His complaints about production about wanting a bigger role are all about knowing he is closer to 30 and if he stays with the team will not get a big money deal. People on this board tend to underrate him but he has been a top 5 all-time Eagles WR since joining the team. Even with Lemon, the Eagles are taking a step back in terms of talent at the position.

In terms of value for the trade, the Eagles are not looking to replace AJ with the compensation. They are looking at Lemon and Devonta having enough talent to replace it in a different offense. Whatever asset they get is going for other team needs. Howie knows he has the job security to think ahead to 2028 and beyond. For him, getting a 2028 first vs. a 2nd in 2027 may give him more flexibilty. My guess is that they looked at this draft as a way to replace either AJ or find Lane's replacement. I think they view Bell as a dart throw at Lane. Lemon is viewed as a replacement for AJ's production. In 2027, my sense is they will go into the draft with OT as their biggest need. QB may be a close second depending on Hurts's season. The 2 2028 firsts allow them flexibility to target a QB in 2027 or 2028.

7 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I don't think it's bad blood with Hurts or Sirianni that is driving the trade request. This is about money. AJ wants another big money deal. If his productivity here is where it has been the last 2 seasons, he's not going to be able to get a big deal. His complaints about production about wanting a bigger role are all about knowing he is closer to 30 and if he stays with the team will not get a big money deal. People on this board tend to underrate him but he has been a top 5 all-time Eagles WR since joining the team. Even with Lemon, the Eagles are taking a step back in terms of talent at the position.

In terms of value for the trade, the Eagles are not looking to replace AJ with the compensation. They are looking at Lemon and Devonta having enough talent to replace it in a different offense. Whatever asset they get is going for other team needs. Howie knows he has the job security to think ahead to 2028 and beyond. For him, getting a 2028 first vs. a 2nd in 2027 may give him more flexibilty. My guess is that they looked at this draft as a way to replace either AJ or find Lane's replacement. I think they view Bell as a dart throw at Lane. Lemon is viewed as a replacement for AJ's production. In 2027, my sense is they will go into the draft with OT as their biggest need. QB may be a close second depending on Hurts's season. The 2 2028 firsts allow them flexibility to target a QB in 2027 or 2028.

It's not necessarily about replacing AJ with the compensation. It's if you're going to make a trade you're under no obligation to make, and actively make your team worse in a SB or bust season(which their moves tell you for them it still is) then you better get back an absolute haul. Doing anything less would be unwise. The idea with a potential trade was the return would make the short term loss of talent worthwhile in the long run. So it better be. A 1st in a loaded upcoming draft class would do that. And I still don't see how the Patriots have any leverage here. Say Howie goes "It's a 2027 1st or these talks are dead" are the Patriots really going to go "Ok, we'll go into next season with Boutte and Doubs"? Somehow I doubt that. It seems they want Brown pretty badly.