While waiting on A.J. Brown to be delivered to the Patriots and Wednesday's on-field practice, here are some assorted Patriots thoughts in late May ...
• Since there's nothing else of substance going on in the league right now and the NFL industrial complex must be fed year-round, you get all sorts of regurgitations of the Brown trade story to keep it alive in order to get those engagement clicks (can't wait to see how this gets aggregated!).
Look, nothing has changed. The Eagles stockpiled receivers in the offseason, including trading up in the draft to select Makai Lemon. The Patriots passed on any receivers in the draft. Brown has stayed quiet. The Patriots and Eagles have been restrained in their comments.
All of this suggests Brown is very likely a Patriot sometime after 4 p.m. on June 1st. Will it be immediate? Could be. But I've also had it suggested by league sources that the Eagles could wait a week to make it appear like they've done their due diligence on the trade market, and to make it look a little more kosher (not worked out ahead of time) to the NFL. I'd guess it gets done sooner rather than later, and undoubtedly by June 9, when the Eagles host their two-day mandatory minicamp. That's all the Eagles need: Brown in the building with media around when he's clearly on his way out.
• As for the trade compensation, I don't see much changing on that front. As I reported after the league meetings, the Patriots are comfortable sending a second-round pick to the Eagles. That would be the equivalent of a 2028 first-round pick. I still am adamant about avoiding 2027 draft compensation. By '28, the Patriots will have had three drafts and should be annual contenders. I'm not ruling out a '26 season from hell, so I want to be protected in case that is a high pick. But if the Patriots are doing their job correctly, that '28 pick should be the equivalent of a second-round pick.
As opposed to the NBA, you can't literally make draft picks Top X protected. I suppose you could tie it into a team incentive — say, a 2027 second-round pick that could improve to a '28 first-round pick if the Patriots make the playoffs in '26 — but that's about it.
• As for those not wanting to part with any first-round pick for Brown — and I do think the Patriots will get back a sweetener to balance the transaction out a little bit — let's be practical. Howie Roseman and the Patriots' front offices are respected veterans. They are not interested in driving a hard bargain; they want to operate in good faith and be fair. The Patriots have evaluated Brown to be worth a present-day second-round pick. If Roseman wants to save face with a future first, that's also fair. Why on Earth would they risk ticking off Roseman for 15-20 draft slots? Roseman could easily tell the Patriots to go pound sand and give Brown away to another team for less compensation simply out of spite. Happens all the time in the NFL. Roseman and the Patriots are adults. Just figure out a fair deal for all sides and get it done.
• Getting the deal done for a '28 pick means the Patriots get to insert Brown into their lineup without giving up any assets for two seasons ('26 and '27). Again, by '28, they should have progressed way past the foundation-laying phase and be looking for accent pieces. The depth of the roster should be solidified.
• Of course, Brown will also have to pass a physical with the Patriots. Hopefully, it's a real one and not just Mike Vrabel telling the doctors to do a quick once-over because he has a great relationship with Brown and once coached him. I asked one veteran GM why he wasn't interested in Brown despite a need there. "Bad knee," he said.
I'm still OK with this trade because I do think Brown will give them a boost for at least two seasons — although I do not view him as elite, or the type of talent that will cause opponents to game plan for him; he's started on the decline — but let's not fool ourselves. The only 30-somethings in decline the Vrabel-led Patriots have gone after are Vrabel's guys: Harold Landry (turns 30 in June), Kevin Byard and now Brown (29 in June). If those guys never played for Vrabel, there's no way an organization on the hunt for young players with their best football in front of them would have brought them aboard (OK, I omitted Stefon Diggs, but that move was more out of desperation months after free agency than anything else; they tried to sign/trade for younger players).
Vrabel was largely right about Landry until he got hurt (which, by the way, is part of the risk when signing veteran players). But Byard and Brown are much bigger bets (at least Byard was at a discount).
• Could a high-priced talent be out the door to offset Brown's money? It's possible at some point, but not anytime soon. Someone would have to emerge on the roster to take the place of Christian Barmore and/or Mike Onwenu. The Patriots didn't add at either spot in the draft.
It's much easier to find a capable guard, but the Patriots have nothing right now with Caeden Wallace, Mehki Butler and Andrew Rupcich. They won't start trying tackles at guard until training camp, and the UDFAs have a long way to go.
Best-case scenario: someone pulls a Ryan Wendell or Dan Connolly to make Onwenu expendable in a trade to save his money and get a good draft pick in return — both of which would make the Brown acquisition even cheaper. That's what happened when Bill Belichick traded Logan Mankins to the Bucs.
• The Patriots know they are lacking serious depth at guard, but don't expect them to do anything about it anytime soon. That could be a position, and linebacker as well, the Patriots look to fortify via a trade near the start of the season or via cutdowns. You can't have everything on a roster. Sometimes you have to just figure it out and make do.
• As I said on my podcast last week, Drake Maye is getting rave reviews internally as he embarks on Year 2 with Josh McDaniels. It has little to do with his physical makeup — although he appears to be a bit stronger — but rather his mentality and comfort in the scheme.
"The Super Bowl loss may be the best thing to happen to him," said one source.
It appears that Maye has studied the loss to the Super Bowl and the entire postseason, where he largely struggled, and is wasting no time applying the lessons learned.
Also, Maye's comfort with the scheme and the increased ability to use the tools that make it so QB-friendly have taken a huge leap.
Plus, he is growing into the leadership role.
"Look out for the QB now," said another source. "If you thought he was good last year, just wait."
• Blocking TE Julian Hill has been one of the stars of the OTAs, where his physical play, even in shorts, has opened a lot of eyes.
• Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker looks like a Pro Bowler/All-Pro with his athletic ability and terrific feet. Everyone is praying he stays healthy.
• Caleb Lomu has mostly worked at right tackle, although he is learning both spots to be the swing tackle.
Remember, Nate Solder (17th overall in 2011) was drafted to be a rookie swing tackle for a year behind Matt Light and Sebastian Vollmer. Solder ended up starting 13 games that season because Vollmer was in and out of the lineup with injury, and only played six games (five starts). Vollmer even missed the first two games of the playoffs, but started in Super Bowl XLVI.
• Robert Spillane's return to full health has stood out on the defensive side in the early going.
• Oh, and I forgot to say this about the Vrabel off-field situation: I don't know if or when another story is going to drop, but as of now, the team is way past the off-field situation. "No one cares in here," one source said. "It's not a factor." There were definitely some tense/awkward moments early on, especially when Vrabel addressed the team twice in three days to "take accountability" for his actions, but at the moment, the episode is done and done.
I, however, am not saying it's definitely over, not with the rumors out there that Dianna Russini is looking to sell her story.