PHILADELPHIA — Once it became clear that the Philadelphia Eagles would trade A.J. Brown, general manager Howie Roseman had one requirement: The Eagles needed a first-round pick.After months of speculation, the Eagles traded Brown to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round and 2027 fifth-round pick. Trading one of the most decorated wide receivers in franchise history this offseason was not the plan when the Eagles signed Brown to a contract extension in 2024, but if he was going to satisfy Brown’s desire for a fresh start elsewhere, a price needed to be met. Roseman told reporters in a group interview Monday afternoon that a first-round pick was central as to why the Eagles would trade Brown.“I think that when we looked at the totality of the circumstances and having the conversations we had with him, felt like where we were, where we were going, where he was, that if we could find something that kind of achieved our goals of getting a first-round pick going forward here in the near future, getting the money back to spend on other players on our team and other teams, and it was a win-win situation based on where he was and how he felt, we were open to that,” Roseman said 45 minutes after the trade was made official.It did not matter as much to Roseman that the pick is two drafts away. Even if he won’t say it publicly, that might even be the preference because of the uncertainty of the pick. Had the Eagles acquired the Patriots’ pick this year, it would have been No. 31 overall. A 2028 pick has a better chance of landing higher in the draft, although the drawback is that it does not help the team in the next two years.However, Roseman also valued waiting until after June 1, which allowed him to spread Brown’s dead money on the salary cap over two years.“For us to take a 2026 pick, and that’s a late first-round pick, and obviously also have to deal with the cap consequences that come with making a trade prior to June 1, it made some sense for us to look at future picks,” Roseman said. “We’ve always been in the mindset a pick is a pick — a first-round pick is a first-round pick. Doesn’t matter. Teams are still going to be playing football in 2028. “…I think from our perspective, getting a first-round pick for our team, having two first-round picks in ‘28 is a huge, huge part of this move. I think that when you look at that and obviously the options of what you’re able to do with having multiple first-round picks, it’s a huge game-changer, and feel very, very confident that those picks are the most valuable things that you can add as you’re building your team. I know there’s a lot of attention on the 2027 draft, but at the same time, looking at the ‘28 draft, I feel confident that that’s going to be a good draft as well, and that we’ll be in position to really improve our football team.”Roseman offered fewer public details about why it even reached this point where the Eagles needed to trade Brown. He explained that the Eagles had conversations with Brown after the season in which he expressed the desire to play elsewhere. There had been speculation about a Brown trade even before last season’s trade deadline, but Roseman said Brown was committed to trying to win another championship.It was not as if the Eagles were eager to move Brown. When this seemed like the most realistic outcome, and Roseman considered the state of the Eagles’ roster with young players approaching contract extensions, there was a reasonable compromise to be reached. That was when the focus shifted to value. Roseman needed the first-round pick. He saw he could land a first-round pick, and combining that compensation with the cap and cash relief, it became “win-win for both sides.”“You can have a really good run with somebody, and just feel like, ‘Hey, the next stage of my career, I feel like it will be better served, kind of starting fresh’,” Roseman said. “The conversations with him overall were positive and just honest conversations, and I think it just kind of got to a point where it made some sense from both sides.”It’s not a move that necessarily makes the roster better, although it’s also not a move made in a vacuum. Roseman was not trying to sell the trade as a crowning achievement. Rather, it was responding to the circumstances presented and making a move that offers long-term upside.Roseman continued the organization’s strong endorsement of DeVonta Smith, “a really, really, really good player, and excited for him to continue to improve and shine as a player.” The Eagles invested a first-round pick in Makai Lemon. They traded for Dontayvion Wicks — ”a really talented player who knows the offense.” They signed Hollywood Brown. There is a collection of other pass catchers competing for roles. “But there’s no doubt that A.J. Brown was a huge, huge part of our football team, a great player for us,” Roseman said, “and that loss will have to be picked up by more than just one player.”