A.J. Brown was expected to dominate the headlines on June 1 until a blockbuster trade sent superstar Myles Garrett from Cleveland to the talented Los Angeles Rams.The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year was dealt by the Browns in exchange for the Rams’ star edge rusher Jared Verse, along with three premium draft picks: a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2029 third-round selection.The Eagles have long coveted Garrett, a five-time first-team All-Pro widely regarded as the most complete defensive player in football. Cleveland had resisted trading its superstar for years but remained stuck in perpetual rebuild mode due to repeated missteps at the quarterback position. With Garrett turning 31 later this year, it was now or never to cash in on the monster haul for Cleveland. The fact that Browns GM Andrew Berry and assistant GM Catherine Raiche-Hickman are both former Eagles executives under Howie Roseman helped fuel speculation that the Eagles might draw the winning hand. The Eagles were reportedly involved in at least some discussions involving a similar package, with Verse potentially replaced by either Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt. However, Cleveland was believed to have less interest in a defensive tackle package centered around Jalen Carter, which would have matched more closely from a talent perspective.Trade buzz intensified Monday afternoon, with reports from Cleveland naming the Rams and Eagles as the top contenders, followed by the Dallas Cowboys. Any hope of Roseman pulling off a masterstroke — flipping Brown for an extra first-round pick to help facilitate a deal — vanished when news broke that the Rams had closed the deal in an expedient fashion. The ShiftEagles superstar WR A.J. Brown during 2025 minicamp. | John McMullen/Eagles On SILos Angeles-area reports indicated that the Rams shifted toward Garrett earlier in the spring, ironically after bowing out of talks to acquire Brown from the Eagles. Already the favorites in most NFC betting markets, the Rams have now widened their gap over the Eagles on paper with the addition of Garrett, one of the best defensive players in league history coming off a record 23-sack performance in the 2025 season. For the Eagles and Roseman, this was likely the final realistic window to land the long-speculated Garrett-to-the-Eagles dream. While the Texas A&M product, who has a no-trade clause, was willing to come to Philadelphia and that door was always open with Cleveland struggling, the Rams are expected to be a significant contender as long as reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford continues to play at a high level.In one fell swoop on Monday, the possibility of the game’s best defensive player calling Lincoln Financial Field home may slammed shut for good and the Eagles’ Super Bowl LXI hopes took a significant hit.The cherry on top of that disappointing sundae is that other shoe of Brown landing in New England via trade is still going to drop. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow