New England Patriots
“Simply making an attempt to enhance our soccer crew in each potential approach. Give our offense a number of weapons to construct on what we did final 12 months.”
FOXBOROUGH — Mike Vrabel didn’t mince phrases on Tuesday when requested about the associated fee that the Patriots paid to pry A.J. Brown out of Philadelphia.
Including an All-Professional wideout of Brown’s abilities to New England’s roster stands as a sizable upgrade to a Patriots team that fell only a win wanting an sudden Tremendous Bowl title in February.
However New England did should relinquish some hefty draft capital to finish the long-awaited deal — sending a 2028 first-round decide and a 2027 fifth-round choice to Philly.
However Vrabel brushed apart any speak of the potential dangers of New England orchestrating a “win-now” transfer with this deal.
“Now we have to win… That’s our job, and accountability, and expectation within the Nationwide Soccer League,” Vrabel instructed reporters on Tuesday forward of OTA apply. “It’s to not go 4-13 two years in a row, if that’s what you imply.”
Brown’s versatility as a big-bodied outdoors receiver who also can carve up man protection and bail out his QB when beneath duress must be a welcome sight for Drake Maye in 2026 and past.
Since coming into the league in 2019, Brown ranks fourth within the NFL in each receiving yards (8,029) and landing catches (56).
“I feel he loves soccer,” Vrabel mentioned of what makes Brown such an impactful participant. “I feel that he has a bodily ability set. He’s obtained nice physique management. I feel he’s robust on the catch level.
“However I additionally assume as he’s grown as a participant and as a receiver, simply the nuances of releases vs. press or taking part in vs. bracketed coverages or zone coverages. Performs bodily with the soccer and has been a productive and constant participant.”
Only a day after the commerce was struck between New England and Philly, Brown was out on the apply fields behind Gillette Stadium — reeling in a number of throws from Maye as a part of New England’s voluntary organized crew actions.
“Simply making an attempt to enhance our soccer crew in each potential approach. Give our offense a number of weapons to construct on what we did final 12 months,” Vrabel mentioned of Brown’s addition. “I feel having expertise with the individual, to have the ability to add an completed NFL soccer participant, receiver, premium participant at his place, however any person that we additionally really feel strongly about as an individual and a competitor and as a teammate.
Brown’s observe report speaks for itself, with the 28-year-old wideout surpassing 1,000 or extra receiving yards in six of his seven full seasons within the NFL.
For these holding observe, New England has solely had two gamers surpass 1,000 receiving yards within the final seven seasons — Julian Edelman in 2019 and Stefon Diggs in 2025.
However Brown did finish his fruitful four-year run with the Eagles on a rocky word — routinely airing out his dissatisfaction with Philadelphia’s offensive strategy and his function in mentioned operation.
In November 2025, Brown proclaimed his scenario in Philly as a “s— present”, with Eagles proprietor Jeffrey Lurie assembly personally with Brown to hash out his issues over his function on the crew.
“You’ll be able to’t preserve slapping a Band-Support over that and count on to win late within the 12 months and assume you’re going to go to that on the finish of the 12 months. It’s not going to f—ing occur,” Brown told reporters last year.
Regardless of these frustrations, Vrabel mentioned that he’s not involved about Brown’s exit from his earlier crew — a franchise that he received a Tremendous Bowl with in February 2025.
“I feel it is a aggressive sport, extremely aggressive,” Vrabel mentioned. “Gamers wish to win, gamers wish to do the whole lot they’ll to assist their crew. They wish to guarantee that individuals are on the proper web page. I don’t get into plenty of that.”
“I don’t know what occurred,” Vrabel added. “I’m not making an attempt to determine what occurred in Philadelphia. I’m making an attempt to concentrate on what’s going to occur right here and making an attempt to get him acclimated to what we do and the way we do it.”
Vrabel has loads of familiarity with Brown, having coached the promising wideout throughout his first three years within the NFL, when each coach and participant have been with the Titans.
As such, he’s properly conscious of Brown’s longstanding affinity for the Patriots — one which lastly led to him donning a New England jersey on Tuesday afternoon
“I feel that was recognized for a very long time,” Vrabel mentioned of Brown’s assist for the Patriots. “I feel I knew that. I feel he confirmed me footage when he was somewhat child carrying my jersey and stuff like that. … He didn’t put on my jersey.
“I feel I knew after we drafted him, he was like, “I wanted the Patriots drafted me.” And I mentioned, “That didn’t occur. The Titans drafted you.” I feel there’s the success that this crew had in these years when plenty of our gamers have been rising up, it might be straightforward to root for lots of gamers that performed for this crew within the early 2000s.”
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