All offseason long, Patriots fans were waiting on the edge of their seat until June 1 at 4 p.m., when the Patriots could finally make a trade for wide receiver AJ Brown official. It had been expected since the Eagles seemingly made him available, and the closer the trade came, the clearer it became that New England was the frontrunner.
It didn't take long for the deal to be made official on Monday afternoon, and it would be fair to say that all of New England rejoiced in seeing the offense finally get the difference-making pass catcher they have needed going back to the years of Tom Brady under center, especially when being the receiver Bill Belichick mistakenly passed on in 2019, which is something fans have never let go.
Even better was hearing the news that Brown would already be at Gillette Stadium the following day for his physical and participate in his first practice.
As if seeing him catch his first passes from Drake Maye wasn't special enough, Brown then spoke to Patriots media for the first time, and fans came away with plenty of soundbites to remember for a long time, with one, in particular, standing out above the rest, as he chose to acknowledge what they have all been saying for seven years.
AJ Brown heard what Patriots fans have been saying since he fell to the Titans in the 2019 NFL Draft
Since the 2019 season, especially since N'Keal Harry, who Belichick drafted with the final pick of the first round that year, quickly became a bust, fans have been longing for Brown on the offense, even more since things appeared to go downhill for him in Philadelphia.
He has been the receiver they have been obsessed with because he went on to record 1,000+ receiving yard seasons in all but one year, so his ties to Mike Vrabel made it more difficult for the idea of the pair reuniting hard to ignore.
That likely explains Brown's first comments directly to fans on Tuesday afternoon, proving he's seen and heard what they've been saying over the years and made sure to address them as soon as possible.
“To the fans, it’s time. Better late than never.”
Ain't that the truth.
It might have taken a lot longer than anyone hoped for, including Brown, but he's finally where he always should have been, and maybe, besides the years with Brady, it might be the best time for him to join the roster.
Of course, the idea of him working with Brady in 2019, which became his final season with the Patriots, would have been the best thing at the time and could have been a reason the quarterback chose to stay rather than leave for Tampa Bay.
However, we can't rewrite the past, so at least we can give credit to Eliot Wolf and Vrabel now for getting a deal done and giving Maye the kind of receiver he needs and deserves.
Brown immediately makes the receiving corps one to fear again, and that hasn't been a way to describe their roster in a very long time. Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, it was incredibly important that they upgraded their biggest weaknesses, and this trade accomplishes that and then some.
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