Eagles DB shares brutally honest truth about A.J. Brown trade talk

A.J. Brown is still officially a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, but in many ways, it feels like his time with the team is coming to an end.

Eagles First-Team All-Pro cornerback Cooper DeJean was asked about the holding pattern with Brown during a recent appearance on Takeoff. DeJean admitted the NFL is a business with each player doing what's best for them in their personal situation. betsport.cv

“We talk pretty often still. Obviously, he’s a great teammate, a great friend of mine. Nothing will change the way I think about A.J.," DeJean told NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark. "Obviously, it’s a business, and everybody has to do what’s best for them. I know whatever happens, he'll always be a close friend of mine. ...I’m going to miss just seeing him in the building, if he's gone. Just seeing him out on the practice field and talking trash, those are some fun times. And just learning from him, too. He instilled confidence in me. That is something I will always appreciate.”

“We talk pretty often still. Obviously, he’s a great teammate, a great friend of mine. Nothing will change the way I feel about AJ. Obviously it’s a business and everybody has to do what’s best for them. I know whatever happens, he will always be a close friend of mine. I’m going… pic.twitter.com/qUrQ1IJPZB

NewsSoaring World Cup ticket prices for players’ families and guests leav…Average cost of one ticket claimed to be $3,000 (£2,200)Fifa insists terms and conditions of sale were made clearNumerous Football Associations have been hit by increased prices...Open →

Soaring World Cup ticket prices for players’ families and guests…

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) May 4, 2026

The Eagles are expected to trade Brown on or after June 1, when they would avoid a dead cap hit north of $40 million. As of right now, the New England Patriots are viewed as the likeliest destination for the three-time All-Pro wide receiver.

Things could obviously change if another team gets in on the negotiations, but everything has pointed in the Patriots' direction throughout the offseason. Both teams even drafted like a deal was already done behind the scenes, even though it reportedly isn't.

The Eagles used a first-round draft pick on rookie receiver Makai Lemon, which probably isn't a move they would have made if they thought Brown would still be on their roster for the season. Meanwhile, the Patriots didn't draft a receiver at all—another fishy move from a team that cut its leading receiver, Stefon Diggs, in the offseason.

The Brown drama is entering spoiler territory at this point, and everyone can see the writing on the wall. It all feels like a waiting game before the inevitable happens.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Eagles DB shares brutally honest truth about A.J. Brown trade talk

A new superstar of snooker. Another Chinese world champion.

A year earlier, it had been Zhao Xintong lifting the trophy and creating history for his country. On Monday, it was Wu Yize - who had defeated Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a compelling final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

And it was a particularly poignant moment for the 22-year-old, who relocated to the UK from his home city of Lanzhou aged 16, with his father, and attempted to pursue his dream amid concerns over the health of his mother.

"My mum wasn't in very good health condition for a long time," he said. "During that time we were in Sheffield, she has been in hospital a lot. She is forever a source of strength to me.

"She is feeling much better now. This is the second time she has visited me in the UK. I think in the future I will take her more to be by my side.

"She sacrificed everything for me. At that time she told me 'don't come back home, I can manage everything'. It was the second year I was playing in the UK.

"At that time my ranking was very low so it was a crucial time for me to achieve some good results and keep my professional status. She means everything to me."

• Wu beats Murphy in decider to win world title
• Who is snooker's new superstar Wu?

Wu, who uses a translator in his news conferences, shared a bed with his father in a windowless flat in the Steel City as he tried to carve out a career in professional snooker.

But his attacking style and individuality, in a sport known for its formal attire and disciplined approach, marked him out for greatness.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and Murphy, who won the title in 2005, both tipped him as a future world champion earlier in the campaign.

Jason Ferguson - chairman of the sport's governing body - says he and others have the ability to transform the sport and deliver "a changing of the tide".

He told BBC Sport: "This boy is just outstanding. I've known Wu for a number of years, known his father for many years and seen the struggles and the tough battles to get to this stage.

"You cannot believe what it means to that family to actually be in that arena holding that trophy. It's quite an incredible moment. We are seeing a changing of the tide and it has to happen.

"Wu is really now entering that era of becoming a great where he can go on and win and win and win."

Wu is seen as one of the new breed that is helping to shape the future of the game.

"This will not be seen simply as another sporting victory but as part of a broader generational storyline, following Zhao Xintong's breakthrough," said May Zhao, who has been in Sheffield to report for the International Sport Press Association.

"It confirms a new era for Chinese snooker at the very top level.

"The reaction in China will be enormous. During the peak moments, the number of viewers may have exceeded 100 million people."

Is Wu changing the face of snooker?

Zhao's victory 12 months ago was regarded as a seismic moment for Chinese snooker.

With Wu following in his footsteps, it suggests that a golden period has arrived for players from the Asian country and possibly a new chapter for the sport as a whole.

Wu's triumph at the International Championship in Nanjing last November was a breakthrough moment, lifting him to a then career-high 13th in the world rankings.

"After that win, he was received by the vice governor of the Gansu province and this will be much bigger than that," said Chinese snooker reporter Joe Liu, who works for World Snooker.

"Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu and is not a place where they have huge sports traditions or achievement, so this will be huge for his home city.

"During my time associating with him, at all the tournaments I've been to, I can sense his confidence. He's very confident and I think he knows he can do a lot more in the future."

Wu's world title win has propelled him to fourth in the rankings and only added fuel to the belief that Chinese players could dominate the sport for years to come, playing a new brand of snooker.

"The game is changing, shot selection is changing and the likes of Wu Yize are changing the face of snooker to make it much more aggressive," said six-time world champion Steve Davis during the BBC's TV coverage of the final.

"The modern-day players coming through have got to copy this. You can't win playing safe."

Seven-time winner Stephen Hendry added: "He's just brilliant. He plays the game properly and goes for the shots.

"He's obviously at a stage of his career when he's not had many scars and he's not thinking about the consequences of missing. He just gets on with it and he's having fun."

A changing of the guard?

Chinese players won three times on the professional circuit during 2024-25. That figure increased to seven from 23 events this season, albeit courtesy of only three players - Zhao, Xiao Guodong and Wu.

And they are not the only numbers that are trending positively.

The number of players from China appearing for the televised stage of the World Championship rose from a record 10 in 2025 to 11 this year.

Prior to the start of the tournament last year, only four - Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, Xiao and Si Jiahui - sat inside the top 16.

This time there have been five, with Zhao and Wu added to the list and Zhang dropping out. Furthermore, 10 will start next term inside the top 32.

The top five players in the world were all British 12 months ago, but that is now no longer the case.

While John Higgins reached the last four in Sheffield and the final of the Masters this term, O'Sullivan's win at Alexandra Palace in January 2024 was the most recent occasion that a member of the sport's fabled 'Class of 92' won a Triple Crown event.

"There is a finite amount of time that a player can perform at the optimum level," said Ferguson.

"There is now a lot more talent chasing them and a lot more talent that's capable of winning. We've seen a big shift in the younger players. What we're seeing now is multiple players that can actually beat the 'Class of 92' and go all the way."

Liu echoed those comments, adding: "He's almost 30 years younger than those guys so I think we're definitely witnessing a change of era.

"A lot of players have already predicted Zhao will be the one who is in the dominant position in the next 10 years or so, but if Wu continues to grow in the next two or three years, he can up there together with Zhao."

However, it should be noted that English duo Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson, between them, hold five world titles and have won five tournaments this season, including the two other Triple Crown events - the UK Championship and the Masters.

At one point yesterday, Chelsea were down to 10th in the league but moved back up to 9th after a late Manchester City goal.

It saved them some blushes of officially being midtable in the league but even still, 9th position is very dire for Chelsea Football Club. They should be nowhere near that position with all the money they have spent signing new players in the last four years since the new owners came in.

EXCLUSIVE! Chelsea contact former Blues player for shock return to the club this summer!

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Chelsea fans absolutely detest their owners right now for what they believe is them ruining the club from top to bottom. Another defeat yesterday, going down 3-1 at home to Nottingham Forest, saw many Chelsea fans leaving the game as early as the 75th minute because they’d had enough.

And former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says he’d never sign for Chelsea as a young player right now.

Carragher is right

Jamie Carragher on the Overlap.

In fact, with his criticisms and concerns over the Chelsea owners in the last four years, Carragher was always right, even if he often got hammered for saying some of the things he said.

As you can see in the video posted on X, Carragher yet again made some really good points and he is spot on.

“If I was a young player, why would I sign for Chelsea?”

In other news today…

Joao Pedro has said it was an early goal that cost Chelsea against Nottingham Forest – but he had no answers to why his team start badly even if he says he feels sorry for the fans.

Four overpaid scammers who should be sacked right now were pictured at Stamford Bridge during the game yesterday looking very glum. A lot of our issues are their faults.

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