The New England Patriots' pursuit of star wide receiver A.J. Brown is a firsthand lesson that patience is, in fact, a virtue. This move was literally months in the making and finally became a reality, and there's palpable excitement surrounding his arrival.
Brown passed his physical and hit the field for the first of countless practices as a member of the Patriots a day after getting traded. He's clearly eager to hit the ground running in Foxborough, and folks are pretty stoked to see him, namely CBS Sports' Logan Ryan.
Ryan, whose ties to New England and its head coach, Mike Vrabel, notably run quite deep, believes Brown affirms the reigning AFC champion's elite status.
"We'll see how it breaks down with health and injuries, but the Patriots are legit contenders again," Ryan stated (h/t CBS Sports HQ).
Logan Ryan declares Patriots 'legit contenders again' after A.J. Brown trade
Many Patriots fans probably remember Ryan from his four-year stint with the club as a cornerback from 2013 through 2016. He was a valuable part of their Super Bowl XLIX and LI victories before spending two seasons under Vrabel's tutelage with the Tennessee Titans.
Some might call Ryan's glowing optimism partiality, and maybe it is, though his logic is sound. He highlights how the Pats are pairing Brown with a fantastic leader in Vrabel and burgeoning star quarterback in Drake Maye.
"... I think [the Patriots] have a great quarterback, and a great coach and a great defense; that normally means a great team," Ryan said. "Now you add a great wide receiver to that [in Brown]."
It's easy to see why Ryan's looking forward to seeing what integrating a playmaker of Brown's caliber can do for New England. Brown is a three-time All-Pro whose outstanding individual production has also contributed to team success.
Bringing in Brown should elevate a squad that fell one win short of hoisting the Lombardi trophy this past February. Together, he and offseason free-agent acquisition Romeo Doubs headline a suddenly deep Patriots receiver room and give Maye an exciting dynamic duo to work with.
Assuming Brown's "down" 2025 campaign was more about his frustration and a nagging hamstring injury from training camp, a strong bounce-back is firmly in play. Yet, despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, the ex-Philadelphia Eagle still managed to clear the 1,000-yard mark and score seven touchdowns in 15 games.
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