Dianna Russini doubles down on AJ Brown rumors, linking him to Rams and Patriots

The Los Angeles Rams have made one blockbuster trade. But per NFL Insider Dianna Russini, they may be cooking up another. Of course, whenever general manager Les Snead is involved, anything is possible. And having already declared that he would be aggressive this offseason to optimize veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford's return, that opens the door to any possibility.

Russini links Snead and company to trade talks for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Still in his prime at 28 years old, Brown had requested a trade due to a lack of work in Philly's offense. Apparently, LA was one of the teams that picked up the phone and inquired.

But multiple reports indicate that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has set the starting bid to be at least one first-round pick plus others.

While LA has abandoned Day 1 of the draft on all but one occasion, a trade of the team's 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft seems too steep a price to pay for a veteran who will also demolish the team's available salary cap space.

Then she doubles down on the assertion:

The thing is, it's a bit out of logic. Why would the Rams pursue Brown, a player who is very frustrated by a limited workload, when they already boast two elite receivers who are looking for targets?

Rams interest in AJ Brown struggles to pass the sniff test

While the LA Rams have made moves to upgrade their wide receiver room in the past in hopes of getting over the hump for postseason competition. But the team entered the offseason with two first-round picks and had already shipped the 29th overall pick to Kansas City for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

The greatest hurdle to this rumor is the offensive nightmare it creates if it is true. AJ Brown has been frustrated in Philadelphia by being targeted the past two seasons just 97 and 121 times, respectively. In Los Angeles, the team targeted Puka Nacua 166 times and Davante Adams 114 times.

There simply is not enough football to throw to Brown more than 100 times in this offense.

Brown is a high-volume receiver. He has averaged over 116 targets per season, and he gets vocal and frustrated quickly if he falls under that threshold. That screams 'me' over 'we,' and that is something Los Angeles has tried to avoid at all costs.

Of course, anything goes means that there are no limits to rumors and wild scenarios. But unless Los Angeles anticipates injuries or trading away players, this rumor creates more roster problems than it solves.

As always, thanks for reading.