Arthur Brown Drawing Trade Interest

7:20pm: Brown tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) that he was aware of the rumblings and has been told by the team that he’s not on the block. “Somebody from the staff told me it’s just a rumor and there was some interest and they’d listen, but I wasn’t on the block,” Brown said. The linebacker added that he was somewhat flattered by the talk.

11:25am: Second-year linebacker Arthur Brown has been the subject of trade discussions the Ravens have been having with other teams, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Brown isn’t likely to be moved, but is “a popular target” for other teams, given his talent and his place on Baltimore’s depth chart.

Brown, a second-round pick in 2013, played reasonably well in 211 defensive snaps in his rookie season, but has failed to take a step forward so far this year. After losing his starting job to rookie linebacker C.J. Mosley in the preseason, Brown was a healthy inactive for the Ravens’ Week 1 game against the Bengals.

While it’s not clear what sort of return Baltimore might be seeking in exchange for Brown, running back looks like it could be an area of need for the Ravens following Ray Rice‘s release. However, the team may be inclined to see how its current backs fare, and could focus on future draft picks in any discussions involving Brown.

As for possible trade partners, Brown could make sense for a handful of clubs, including the Cowboys and Chiefs, who both lost key inside linebackers – Sean Lee and Derrick Johnson, respectively – to season-ending injuries. Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report also reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins are among the teams to inquire on the 24-year-old.

Based on Wilson’s report, it sounds like Brown won’t be going anywhere, but he’s still a player worth keeping an eye on, particularly if he continues to sit on the bench for the next few weeks.