Gate City Sports Talk

Sports content creator and former educator. Follow me on youtube at Gate City Sports Channel.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

The Cap implications of trading AJ Brown per both Over The Cap & Spotrac, they disagree with their numbers a little and only the #Eagles Front Office truly knows the financials against the cap.

According to OTC (Over The Cap): Total dead money is $43,448,702. It's split up by 2026 being $16,353,496 dead cap, and an accelerated 2027 dead cap of $27,095,206. The way 2027 dead cap acceleration works is 27'-$11,706,603... 28'-$9,672,603... 29'-$5,716,000. You take those three numbers together and add them up, and you get the dead money acceleration onto the 2027 cap.

According to Spotrac: Total dead money is $49,005,106. They have it split by 2026 being $21,843,497 dead cap, and 2027 dead cap of $27,161,609. Their acceleration on the 2027 cap is fairly similar but not exact.

I personally believe OTC's numbers to be closer to the reality of the cap implications. OTC has the Eagles saving $7,000,000 against the 2026 cap. The total cap space following an AJ Brown trade would be: $31,817,331.

#FlyEaglesFly

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@Westiclessssss And yet that added cap space didn’t help you with reading comprehension. 😂

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

I see that I've offended Patriots fans by pointing towards factual information. 😂

At the end of the day, I personally believe AJ Brown is likely getting moved this off-season, and probably before the start of camp. I would also say that while I'm not a fan of it, he likely gets dealt to New England.

However, it's also very clear that earlier reporting of this deal being locked up and complete, that seems to be premature. Hard to say there is a structure in place if the organizations involved are fighting over, ya know, the structure of the deal. There is still a chance this thing could fall apart at the midnight hour.

It appears that there is a minimum acceptable price that Howie has set for AJ's market. I presume that's a 1st round pick, but I agree no one truly knows.

My point stands. The #Eagles are not forced to trade AJ, and we have dealt with this situation before, twice during the 2021 season.

During the off-season, we moved Carson Wentz for a 2nd round pick that would become a 1st round pick if certain reasonable performance-based things were met. It ultimately became a 1st round pick. Then, we got a 3rd round pick added onto the deal. I would pay attention to this structure. It's normally the compromise organizations strike if there is a difference of opinion over the compensation.

Then, we had the whole situation between Howie and Zach Ertz. Zach wanted to be traded during the off-season, and Howie couldn't find a deal he liked. So, he waited and prior to the trade deadline, he moved Ertz. You know what's crazy? Zach wanted out, knew at some point there was a high probability that he was likely going to be traded in-season, and yet he showed up and did his job every week. He even hinted this off-season that he wouldn't mind re-joining the #Eagles. It didn't happen, but it's almost like there was much ado about nothing. The Eagles could absolutely drag this thing out if they believe that with added time the offers for AJ will potentially increase.

I keep seeing people repeat the words, the Eagles have to trade AJ Brown because they don't want him. Where? Where have you heard, or read that? What member of the coaching staff, front office or Jeffrey Lurie have you heard say these words? You're mixing up the order of events. The Eagles tried to sell AJ on the new direction of the offense, and he was the one that seemed to have indicated, probably through his agent, that he wanted out. However to be fair, AJ hasn't publicly said anything either.

As I stated in my previous tweet, the Eagles are prepared to play with, or without AJ. You're right, at this point it could potentially be awkward to bring him back to the team. Although, AJ's an incredibly popular teammate in the locker room. Not too sure this is as big a problem as many people think. Did you hear the way Saquon talked about him? Doesn't sound like a socially shunned guy in the locker room.

#FlyEaglesFly

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@EastRockKennels “I didn’t read it, I just saw.” What’s another word for that. 😂

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@Patsfan2618 You the guy spending time out of your day to comment on a novel about a team you don’t follow or root for?😂

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

To be fair, you would too if you were on the other side of the Russini debacle. That’s a big part of why a lot Eagles fans don’t want to work with the Patriots on this deal.

I’m not hating on the Pats, but she tainted the momentum behind this trade.

I’m sure the NFL has not been a big fan about how reckless that situation became for them. It’s a bad look but the reality is, it will be a footnote in a few years.

I was initially irritated with it, but at the end of the day, I came to the realization that she can’t force Howie to do anything. There still has to be two consenting parties in the value of the player.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

Billy, I’m honestly not hating on the Pats. I get wanting to get the best value possible while building your roster. That’s basically every fan base across every time in history.

I just know Howie, and he ain’t gonna trade a guy if he feels like the value is too low across the league. He will tell the player what the feed back was, and hope that motivates him.

By the way, I’m not claiming I know what Howie’s value is that he placed on AJ. My claim is that at this exact moment in time, it hasn’t been met yet.

I believe we will find middle ground. It might be a Carson Wentz like trade. That was a 2nd & 3rd round pick, and the 2nd had a structure on it to become a 1st if certain reasonable performance based markers were met.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

Huh? Your statement makes no sense.

I’m fairly certain AJ will be traded, and it will likely occur before the beginning of training camp.

However, it won’t happen until Howie’s value is met. Not sure what Howie is exactly asking, but it clearly hasn’t been met just yet.

Whether that’s on June 2nd, June 15th, July 11th, after our shared joint practice in August, September 1st during roster cut backs, or in October near the trade deadline does not matter to me! 😂

I would prefer that he doesn’t get traded within the conference, but outside of that, I don’t care when or where he’s traded!

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@EastRockKennels But you responded to my book length tweet. So clearly, I only needed a few words to invoke emotion out of you and get you to comment. 😂

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

Not another New England fan too soft to engage in conversation. Brother you sought my post out and spent your time making a comment. Charmin toilet paper soft!

[Newman @Newman81Street]

@HeitterSteve Muted. I have no more time left for this nonsense.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@Newman81Street But it caught your attention and invoked enough emotion out of you to respond!

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@DTatumCEO And you responded to a book length tweet about an outgoing player from an organization that you don't root for or follow? It clearly caught your attention. 😂😂

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

How can you agree they won't trade him for nothing, or without getting fair compensation, and in the same breath say there is zero chance he's on the 53 man roster to begin the season? Those two things are at odds with one another. The threat has to be genuine in order to be believed, or effective.

I agree that he's likely going to be dealt before roster cut downs, but if we're going to maximize his value, that threat of keeping him on the team has to be genuine or teams will absolutely call our bluff! That has to be a real possibility.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

Westy, think about what you just typed though. Do you think the Eagles want AJ back in the building in any capacity? Yes, I do. They tried to sell him on the offense and keep him here during the early offseason.

So, do I think they want him back in ANY capacity, very obviously. However, at some part during their discussions with AJ, the Eagles realized they needed to protect the roster. Clearly AJ or his representatives told the Eagles he wanted a new direction.

But with that said, at no point in time have we heard the Owner, front office, or coaching staff say they don't want him back. At no point in time has any player verbally spoke out against AJ Brown.

While I'm fairly confident a deal gets done at some point this offseason, because AJ or his team seems to have made a request, I don't think there is a need for Howie to just take what is out there if he feels the compensation is not fair. Simply put for me, you can't maximize his value if you're not serious in your threats to keep him on your roster if a certain value is not reached in trade negotiations.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

I think it's likely the deal gets done before the end of training camp too.

However, I will point right back to Zach Ertz. He wanted out during the 2021 offseason, and they couldn't get the deal they wanted for him. He showed up to work every day, knowing he was helping a team that he wouldn't even be part of by season's end. Did his job each week, and he was eventually traded before the deadline.

Howie doesn't have to do anything right now. He can literally wait to see if the market around AJ changes.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@vin3074 Exactly!

They're looking to move him, but it's pretty clear Howie has a specific value placed on any trade for him, and that hasn't been met yet. It will likely get met at some point, or they will just say we tried, and we can revisit next offseason.

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@ScottZoolak

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@ScottZoolak

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@ScottZoolak You might be my #1 supporter! 😂

[Gate City Sports Talk @HeitterSteve]

@ScottZoolak Glad you enjoyed the content, and THREE-PEAT! We might make the NFL Twitter Hall of Fame! 😂