Mike Vrabel AJ Brown New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles
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A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles hugs head coach Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 04, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel discussed Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown on Wednesday afternoon. The buzz keeps swirling around the superstar receiver, and now Vrabel approached the topic.
The buzz has picked up in recent days. Most recently, he appeared on the Dudes on Dudes Podcast with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski last week. Brown was noncommittal about joining the Patriots. However, he did smile and look away when asked if he wanted to be a member of the team. This certainly did not put the hypotheticals or the rumors to rest.
Other NFL analysts have indicated that Brown would be a solid fit for the organization. Damien Harris said that the Patriots need an ‘alpha’ receiver like Brown on the roster.
Brown and Vrabel have had a strong relationship, and the coach expanded on that relationship when he met with the media, as reported by Sleeper’s Carlos Lopez.
The relationships with players, and specifically A.J., has meant a lot. I’ve watched him grow, I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him. Proud of the father that he is, proud of the husband, and that has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played.”
“I’m proud of him. I’m proud of the father that he is, and I’m proud of the husband.”
Vrabel and Brown first connected when both were with the Tennessee Titans. The coach had previously said that Brown was not on the trading block in 2022 when rumors first swirled about a potential trade. The relationship between the two was reportedly strong with the Titans.
As far as Wednesday was concerned, Vrabel did not necessarily rule out the idea of trading for Brown either. He indicated that the Patriots would explore every avenue in order to get better as a team. The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed reported this.
“I think that we’ll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster. And again, there’s a lot of things that go into trades. There’s a lot of back and forth and taking on compensation. And so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft.”
This certainly leaves the door open for Brown to come to New England. He was a productive receiver for the Eagles last season, recording 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. This was his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaign.
Vrabel got to see some of the dominance firsthand. He recorded 2,995 receiving yards in three seasons playing for Vrabel from 2019 2021. This included a 2019 season that saw him average 20.2 yards per catch. That number is a career-high. He would go on to have a monster 2020 season. The explosive playmaker tallied 70 catches for 1075 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Vrabel was able to see a measure of postseason success with Brown as well. The receiver tallied 18 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown in five games. This included a five-catch 142-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021.
The Brown storyline is one that has been swirling all offseason. This isn’t something that is going to go away. One has to wonder if he will pick up again as free agency begins and the NFL draft takes place.
The Patriots need an additional playmaking receiver, and Brown certainly fits the bill. Brown would be a younger playmaking option, and the organization would get him in the prime of his career. One has to wonder what it would take to get a deal done. At the very least, it sounds like the Patriots are open to kicking the tires on a potential Brown deal. Bringing him to New England could help them elevate the roster even further.