Now that he's entering his first offseason as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, Ian Cunningham is itching to make a strong first impression with Falcons fans. Franchise tagging Kyle Pitts was a good start, but extending Bijan Robinson and Drake London and continuing to add talent to this offense (and fixing the QB woes) should be other priorities.
Speaking of adding talent to the offense, Philadelphia Eagles' star receiver A.J. Brown has been available in trade talks for what feels like an eternity. He was floated in trade talks during the season, and now that the offseason is around the corner, the Eagles are actively entertaining trading him.
The major issue with acquiring the 28-year-old is Philadelphia's asking price. They would likely want a first-round pick, but since they don't have that, Cunningham, who wants to hoard draft picks, may be forced to part with the 48th overall pick if he truly wants to and land Brown, which he is unlikely to do.
If Ian Cunningham wants to come out swinging this offseason, trading for A.J. Brown is the way to do it
Given all of the uncertainty surrounding London's future in Atlanta, Brown would be a major get. The three-time Second Team All Pro has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in all but one season, so if the rumblings from the NFL combine are true, a Brown trade could materialize sooner than we expect.
For all of the discussion about Cunningham's ties to Ryan Poles in Chicago playing a role in trade negotiations, he also has ties to Eagles' GM Howie Roseman because of his stint in Philadelphia. And that could give the Dirty Birds a leg up in trade talks assuming they're interested in adding a stud WR.
Falcons fans have been holding out hope for a Brown trade for quite some time now, which is mainly because he would be the perfect complement to London. The only problem is that the USC product's future in Atlanta is coming into question the longer that his extension negotiations are dragged out.
Assuming Cunningham is able to get a deal done, making a splash move to add another elite pass-catcher is just what the Falcons need. The big problem the offensive endured in lack of 2025 was a lack of depth at wideout behind London, as the WR room was being held together by scraps after he got hurt. And there's a chance that Darnell Mooney doesn't return in 2026.
The Ole Miss product is a three-time Pro Bowler who is among the most consistent receivers in the NFL. He's physical, a good route runner, dangerous after the catch, and is a good 50-50 guy. He complained about the issues with the Eagles' offense all year, but a move to Atlanta benefits all sides.
He would instantly be one of Penix's (or whoever the starting QB is) top targets and would help transform this offense overnight after they struggled in 2025. How exactly do you cover all of Brown, London, Bijan, and Kyle Pitts? The correct answer is you don't, because Tommy Rees and Kevin Stefanski would have plenty of toys to play with, as would Penix, to correctly ignite this offense.
Given the price it would take and the lack of draft capital Atlanta has, we are talking about apipe dreams addition this offseason, look no further than the man who is always open. But a man can only dream about Cunningham working his magic to trade for a guy the Eagles don't want to move.