After ending a season with an unexpected Super Bowl appearance, there were plenty of storylines to pay attention to during the Patriots' offseason. Many of them have trickled into training camp, most notably Christian Gonzalez's contract extension drama, but not all situations were worrisome.
Perhaps the most exciting situation to monitor was the budding relationship between new superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown and Drake Maye, after the Patriots pulled off a blockbuster trade for Mike Vrabel's former draft pick earlier this summer.
And now that practices are fully underway, fans can't help but get excited about what the new elite duo can accomplish on the field.
The problem is that, less than a week into training camp, the offense hasn't exactly been stellar, prompting a lot of reactions from analysts and fans, particularly those in the Philadelphia area.
Because they are predominantly glad that Brown was traded and unhappy with how his tenure ended, they are looking for anything to paint in a negative light and to prove that they are actually the winners of the trade, and that's exactly what they've done with a comment Brown made in jest. Yet, they have turned it into a serious matter.
Fortunately for New England, it's not something to be concerned about, and they're still going to reap the biggest reward from adding Brown to their offense.
A.J. Brown's latest comments have Eagles fans taking a victory lap
After a recent practice earlier this week, Brown spoke to reporters for the first time during training camp and was asked about how things were going for him so far.
He spoke about learning the Patriots' offense and how much he already has down, and noted that sparks will start to fly once practice ramps up, as Maye hasn't had many opportunities to use Brown as a deep threat.
“They’re not really letting him throw the ball right now, but we’ll get going as camp progresses.”
That comment right there has sparked a lot of reactions from Eagles fans who are jumping to the conclusion that their former receiver is already complaining about not getting enough reps and believe this is just the beginning of a miserable tenure.
The problem with that is Brown hasn't given any indication that he is concerned about his role within the offense nor the connection he is building with his new quarterback. Instead, he's only spoken highly of Maye and emphasized that their chemistry is building, while also sharing how well they clicked when they worked together ahead of training camp.
Obviously, things will be different and even slower at the start of training camp, and will ramp up the more time goes on. Everyone is learning the new playbook and working to get on the same page, and that goes for Maye, too.
There is no reason to worry about anything we're seeing, especially after how well things went during OTAs earlier this summer, but Eagles fans are quick to use any potential drama as a reason to take a victory lap, and this is just the latest false flag.
Luckily for Patriots fans, things are only going to get better from here, and there will be plenty of reason to celebrate relatively soon. Surely, the development between Brown and Maye will be something exciting to watch during the upcoming season.
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