New England Patriots Rumors: 2 big WR trades that would blow up the AFC

New England Patriots big trade target No. 2: A.J. Brown

A.J. Brown is basically what the New England Patriots hoped N’Keal Harry would become. A big, physical receiver who is one of the best deep ball threats in the league, Brown has emerged into a top tier receiver over his first three seasons. And with just one year left on his deal, Brown wants a new contract that he has so far not received.

As a result, Brown has posted some cryptic tweets that have sparked trade rumors. Brown is certainly deserving of a raise, but the Tennessee Titans have shown little urge to get a deal done. Brown doesn’t appear to be too happy with the lack of a new deal, and he could end up forcing his way out if things persist.

Brown is coming off the worst season of his career, although that was largely due to the fact that he missed four games due to a chest injury. His numbers (63 REC, 869 YDS, 5 TD) still would have made him the best receiver on the Patriots last season. He’s the deep ball threat this offense is missing, and even though they recently traded for Parker, there’s no reason to not continue adding to the position group.

Brown is your prototypical outside receiver. He’s big (6’1, 226 lbs), fast, and can catch pretty much anything thrown his way. He can haul in jump balls, make a contested catch over the middle, and race down the field to catch 50 yard passes too. Considering Harry was taken 19 picks before Brown, it’s tough to not envision what could have been had him and Harry swapped places.

Brown would cost a good amount of picks considered he’s only going to be 25 years old by the time the 2022 season starts, and has proven he can be a top target in any offense. But the Patriots need more targets for Mac Jones to throw too, and they haven’t been able to consistently find them in the draft. Brown will cost a lot, but bring him over, sign him to an extension, and you’ve instantly got Jones a top target for the foreseeable future.