In an effort to seriously bolster their passing attack, the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver AJ Brown in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Not long after his arrival, Brown already made an impact.
All eyes were going to be on the wide receiver simply because he's in a new location. But throughout OTAs, Brown made sure the focus – from both his teammates and the media – was on him for good reason, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.
“Wide receiver A.J. Brown's arrival on June 1 created a palpable surge of energy throughout the team in the three full-speed practices observed by reporters,” Reiss wrote.
“In Brown's first practice, he went through drills last among the receivers. By his final practice, he was first in line — and also among the leaders of the full-team stretch,” he continued. “Brown had said he wanted to earn teammates' respect before doing that, which happened quickly, as he said receiver DeMario “Pop” Douglas pushed him into those spots.”
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In their run to the Super Bowl, the Patriots had just one receiver surpass 600 yards in Stefon Diggs. With him no longer on the team, New England needed a new WR1 for Drake Maye. They found one of the better options available in Brown.
In his final year with the Philadelphia Eagles, the receiver made 78 grab for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. He has at least 1,000 yards receiver and seven touchdowns in all but one season of his seven-year NFL career.
The Patriots further added to their receiver room by signing Romeo Doubs, and they have leftovers like Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams still on the roster. But when Maye drops back to pass, more often than not he'll be looking Brown's way.
In an effort to seriously bolster their passing attack, the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver AJ Brown in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Not long after his arrival, Brown already made an impact. All eyes were going to be on the wide receiver simply because he's in a new location.