Getting Faster

Posted March 17th, 2026

The Eagles finally made a wide receiver move. Only it wasn’t the one we’re all waiting on. They added speed to the offense by going Hollywood.

Let’s start by saying this move had nothing to do with AJ Brown. The Eagles needed to replace Jahan Dotson. They also wanted to add speed to the offense. Brown is an explosive receiver. Last year he was 49-587-5 for the Chiefs. Those numbers could go up now that he’s playing with a good QB (checking to see if any KC fans are reading this).

rown averaged more than 60 catches a season over his first five years when he started for the Ravens and Cardinals. He is a guy that you can feed the ball to. At this point in his career he may be best suited to being a role player. Fran Duffy mentioned that Brown could be used in the offense the way the Rams use Tutu Atwell, another undersized speed receiver. Brown only averages 11.6 yards per catch for his career so he’s not necessarily a big play guy. He does have the speed to stretch the defense, which is likely why the Eagles wanted him. If he goes deep, that will open things up for DeVonta and the other starting receiver (AJ or whoever gets signed/drafted).

Brown can play in the slot or outside. He showed really good footwork on a few of those catches. He doesn’t need to be great to help this offense. He just needs to be a good #3 that makes plays when the ball comes his way.

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A couple of updates on the AJ Brown front. Adam Schefter offered his thoughts.

No real news there. All the insiders lean toward AJ being dealt. But it doesn’t sound like it will happen any time soon.

The Eagles do have a high asking price for him, but that price was validated today. The Broncos traded a first, third and fourth round pick for WR Jaylen Waddle. AJ is a better player than Waddle so he should bring back a better haul. On a side note…the Dolphins could be awful this year.

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We sometimes talk about a championship window. After Super Bowl LII, that closed shut in a hurry. Things are different this time around.

Those aren’t just young Eagles. They are young stars. As long as Howie and his staff continue to add talent, this team should be contending for a while.

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Darius Slay announced his retirement on Monday. Slay was great for the Eagles, making three Pro Bowls and helping the team to a pair of Super Bowls, including one title. Not a bad run. Howie traded a third and a fifth for him back in 2020. Some questioned the move at the time. It turned out to be one of the best moves Howie ever made. Not only was Slay a great player for the Eagles, he was also a great leader and teammate. He spent 2024 tutoring Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. I’d say that worked pretty well.

https://igglesblitz.com/2026/03/getting-faster/

I like the Hollywood Brown signing. I think he’s an upgrade on Dotson who turned out to be an alright player here. He’s a WR3 so if we do trade AJ we are going to need a WR2 because I’m not sure he can do that role. But he’s fast and I think as a slot receiver and a deep threat he’s going to be a good addition.