It’s officially silly season. No one is safe. Not even one of the league’s best wide receivers. And not even a 21-year-old rookie who hasn’t stepped foot on an NFL field yet. It’s just that time of year—blink and you’ll miss the next rumor flying out of the mill.

In a wild new twist that only April can deliver, New England Patriots radio analyst Paul “Fitzy” Fitzgerald dropped a draft rumor grenade on social media. According to him, there’s one name that could trigger a massively unexpected blockbuster—Penn State Edge Abdul Carter.

If—and it’s a big if—Carter is still on the board when New England picks at No. 4, Fitzgerald believes the Philadelphia Eagles might be ready to offer something massive: a reunion with a superstar receiver who has plenty of ties to Foxborough.

Patriots radio analyst floats A.J. Brown draft-day deal

That brings us to a Friday tweet from Patriots radio analyst Paul “Fitzy” Fitzgerald, who stirred the pot with this confounding draft-day tease:

“If Abdul Carter falls to 4th overall… expect the (Eagle emoji) to place a call to New England about a possible reunion with a wide receiver who loves Mike Vrabel and the Pats,” Fitzgerald tweeted.

Bold? Definitely. Impossible? Not entirely. Necessary? Depends on who you ask.

A.J. Brown has been open about his admiration for Mike Vrabel—who coached him in Tennessee—and has previously mentioned his respect for the Patriots organization. Meanwhile, Philly GM Howie Roseman has a track record of making shocking draft-day moves, including acquiring Brown in the first place during the 2022 draft.

From a Patriots perspective, the fit is obvious. Brown is 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, and still dominant. Even in just 13 games last season, he posted over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. He’d be the kind of legitimate WR1 this team has lacked since the days of Julian Edelman.

That said, the trade doesn’t come without concerns. Brown will be 28 years old when the 2025 season kicks off and is set to make near-max money for the next couple of seasons. Not only that, but the fourth overall pick for him is absurd. The Eagles would have to throw in their first, and at least another pick, maybe a second or first next year to sweeten the pot. That’s a lot to pony up for Roseman.

So would it actually happen? That’s where things get complicated. The Eagles would need to be all in on Carter, who remains a raw but explosive pass-rushing prospect. They’d also have to be confident that DeVonta Smith can handle the No. 1 role going forward.

The Patriots, of course, still have major holes on offense—especially up front. LSU’s Will Campbell and Missouri’s Armand Membou remain heavy favorites at No. 4. But if the board shakes out unexpectedly and Carter is staring them in the face, don’t rule out a call from Philly. Of course, the Pats could always just stay put and take Carter themselves. He’s been dubbed as the best pass-rushing prospect since Micah Parsons and guys like that don’t come around often. He’d be a cost-controlled asset for five years, and Vrabel loves him some rookie contracts. Essentially, he might be too good to pass up.

All of this is predicated on him even being available at No. 4 in the first place… which feels like a longshot. But you never know.

Is it likely? Probably not. But this is April. It’s chaos season. And as Fitzy just reminded us—apparently anything’s on the table.