New England Patriots fans already have reason to be excited about what next season could look like, particularly on the offensive side of things following their A.J. Brown acquisition. But even though the former Philadelphia Eagles star has yet to suit up for the Patriots in a game, the early returns are very exciting.
During New England's first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, safety Kevin Byard (who was teammates with Brown with the Tennessee Titans and Eagles) spoke highly about the team's new wide receiver and his building rapport with Drake Maye (h/t Chris Mason of MassLive).
“Of course I was excited (by the trade). It’s something I was secretly hoping for,” Byard said. “Same old guy. He’s a phenomenal talent. Haven’t seen any difference from when he was back in Tennessee in his first couple years of the league. And just my 10 game stint in Philly, same guy. Same guy to go up and make plays one on one. A nightmare for defenses.”
“They’re already developing that relationship,” Byard said. “Anytime A.J.’s backside at X (receiver), I know that’s where the ball is probably going. So I try to cheat my alignments and stuff like that. Drake is a phenomenal quarterback. I think he’s very (in) command of the whole team. Just even seeing him in the locker room, very approachable guy. And then obviously I know A.J., so that relationship has always been there.”
The Drake Maye-A.J. Brown connection will be huge for New England
For the first time in a long, long time, the Patriots have a legitimately elite wide receiver leading the offense (you could maybe make the argument that Stefon Diggs was this last season, but even though he played as well as the team could have asked for, it's clear that he's not a No. 1 guy anymore -- his disappearance in the playoffs was proof of that), and with someone like Maye behind center, there's no telling what the future will look like in New England.
Maye already established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL last season, finishing second in MVP voting and helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019. And now that he has a legitimate No. 1 go-to weapon, there's a real chance he takes it up another level next season.
Trading for Brown should pay dividends for New England in the short- and long-term. He's someone who can take the top off the defense as one of the best deep threats in the game. He should only help with Maye's development. And his gravity should open up the rest of the field for players like Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte/Kyle Williams, Hunter Henry, and even the running game to do some damage.
The Mississippi native will provide a ton of value in New England, and fans should be ecstatic to see what he and Maye can do together. Because, as it seems so far, they already have something special brewing.
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