Well, the long-awaited answer regarding the future of Reggie Brown in Philadelphia has been delivered.
The Eagles announced on Monday evening that they have traded wide receiver Reggie Brown to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an undisclosed draft pick in 2011 (reported by Tampa Bay's official web site as a sixth-round draft choice). This is Howie Roseman's first trade as the team's general manager.
It's ironic that Brown's five-year tenure with the Eagles ends in this regard. Brown was a second-round pick out of Georgia in the 2005 NFL Draft. The pick the Eagles used was originally acquired through a trade with the Miami Dolphins in 2004 (QB A.J. Feeley). In 72 career games (45 starts), Brown had 177 catches for 2,574 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Brown was thrust into the spotlight immediately his rookie season as Terrell Owens was a distraction all year long, which eventually resulted in his dismissal from the team. The other starting receiver entering that year, Todd Pinkston, tore his Achilles tendon in training camp and never played another NFL game.
The 6-1, 197-pound Brown proved that he belonged in the NFL his rookie year, providing a silver lining in what was otherwise a disappointing season. Brown set the franchise-rookie record for receptions by a wide receiver with 43 to go along with 571 yards and four touchdowns. That record has since been broken by DeSean Jackson, but Brown proved that rookies could indeed flourish in Andy Reid's offense.
Brown caught eight touchdown passes in 2006 and a career-high 61 passes in 2007. It looked like the Eagles had a formidable duo at the wide receiver position for years to come with he and Kevin Curtis, who was signed as the big-ticket free agent prior to that '07 campaign. However, a combination of injuries and the emergence of Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant has diminished Brown's role on the field. In the last two years, Brown had just 27 catches and one touchdown.
The Bucs certainly are interested in upgrading their wide receiver corps as it looks like their top receiver from last year, Antonio Bryant, will sign elsewhere. He is scheduled to visit with the Bengals on Tuesday.
This announcement comes on the same day that the Eagles re-signed Avant, who was a restricted free agent, to a five-year deal.
UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the trade is for Tampa Bay's sixth-round pick in 2011.
*-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 8:07 p.m., March 8 *
