DJ Moore may not be the last veteran wide receiver traded this offseason.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown remains a target for interested suitors. Philly’s presumed asking price — first- and second-round picks — might be too rich for rival teams, though.
Fowler went on to write that Baltimore Ravens’ Rashod Bateman, Los Angeles Chargers’ Quentin Johnston and Green Bay Packers’ Dontayvion Wicks “have come up in my talks.” The NFL insider said the same was true for Green Bay’s Jayden Reed, but the Packers prefer to hold onto him.
The Chicago Bears are reportedly sending Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a second-rounder. It was a pretty good haul for Chicago and provided a data point to gauge the trade market for receivers.
The Eagles, for example, are more justified in demanding at least one first-round selection for Brown. The salary cap implications of moving the three-time Pro Bowler already meant Philadelphia needs to get a lot back to make the venture worth it.
Bateman, Johnston and Wicks are all more attainable but clearly wouldn’t provide the same kind of impact as Brown.
None of the three has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, and Johnston is the only one who’s averaging 40-plus yards per contest for his career. He and Wicks have the added difficulty of determining their long-term contract value.
The three-year, $36.8 million extension Bateman signed with the Ravens doesn’t go into effect until 2027. Johnston, meanwhile, has a $16.5 million club option for 2027 before he’ll be eligible to hit free agency the following spring. Wicks is in the final year of his rookie deal with Green Bay.
For teams trying to strengthen their passing game, the pickings are pretty slim. With George Pickens franchise-tagged by the Dallas Cowboys, Alec Pierce is the best pass-catcher on the board.
A general manager may come to the conclusion that a trade for a receiver on the level of Bateman, Johnston or Wicks is a better investment than paying what it takes to sign Jauan Jennings or Wan’Dale Robinson.
