Since the Patriots announced Mike Vrabel would be their next head coach, fans have been speculating about what players he might sign in free agency, select in the draft, or even possibly trade for. It has been a primary focus since the 2024 season completely went off the rails, especially since the team has a league-high cap space to spend when free agency begins in March.
The roster needs a lot of help, and because of Vrabel's connection to some high-profile players from his time as the Titans head coach, there seem to be a lot of potentially great players who could make their way to New England, in one way or another.
The most prominent of names has inevitably been RB Derrick Henry, who is on an absolute tear for the Ravens right now and, because of that, is almost certainly off the table. The other intriguing name is WR A.J. Brown, who has become a significant part of the Eagles' offense since the Titans traded him while Vrabel was the head coach, but things don't seem too grand for him recently.
During their Wild Card game last weekend, Brown was seen on the bench reading a book, likely due to his limited usage in Philadelphia's win over the Packers. He made just one catch on three targets for ten yards, leading many to believe he might want out of the NFC East.
A.J. Brown was reading a book on the bench 😅
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 13, 2025
(📺 FOX) pic.twitter.com/ARrjdH9tWN
That has prompted questions to the Patriots' new head coach about potentially reuniting with the Titans' former WR1, which Vrabel didn't exactly shut down.
Mike Vrabel leaves the door open to reunite with A.J. Brown in New England
Continuing to make the rounds with New England media, Coach Vrabel spoke to WEEI on Tuesday morning and was (of course) asked about the idea of the Patriots trading for Brown this offseason.
Because the receiver seemed unenthused in the Eagles' latest game, and there have been a few instances of issues between him and the team over the years, there appears to be a chance that if the Patriots were going to trade for the receiver, they should have drafted instead of N'Keal Harry in 2019, now would be the time to do it.
Vrabel didn't shut down the idea and emphasized his strong relationship with Brown, keeping the hope alive for fans who desperately want to see a player of Brown's caliber in the offensive lineup for Drake Maye.
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel on bringing WR AJ Brown to New England:
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) January 14, 2025
"Yeah, we'll see....I'm proud of his development, his personal development. And working on himself....He's a passionate player, and I love him to death. And I have a very, very close relationship with him." pic.twitter.com/bGcFaJStpv
Read More: Details about why Bill Belichick passed on AJ Brown and Deebo Samuel make it worse
His comments will keep speculation alive until the Eagles feel they need to come outright and claim that Brown is not going anywhere this offseason. While that would seem enough to end all the chatter, it likely won't because Patriots fans have longed for Brown since it has been reported that Bill Belichick almost drafted him but instead took Harry.
The likelihood of Brown becoming a Patriot now, however, doesn't seem any more probable than it has in the past. Although there's a chance he will want to be traded, the Eagles would have difficulty granting that request, given the structure of his contract.
Brown signed a three-year, $92 million extension during the 2024 offseason that kept him tied to Philadelphia through the 2029 season. They did include a potential out in 2027, which would make them take on just $14+ million in dead cap, which helps a bit for a team like the Patriots. However, getting a trade done before that won't be as simple.
If Brown is traded before June 1st, the Eagles will take on nearly $31.5 million in dead cap and only save $13.9 million. Trading him after June 1st is quite a bit better, as they'd take on just $10.7 million in dead cap and save $6.8 million in space.
The post-June 1st trade sounds like the more likely scenario that would work for both parties, but unless things get really bad between Brown and the Eagles, it's fair to assume he won't be on the trade block for Vrabel and the Patriots to even consider trading for.
It would be a dream scenario, solving one of the roster's biggest weaknesses and righting a previous wrong by the team. Brown wanted to be on the Patriots when he entered the draft and revealed he cried on draft night when they passed on him, only for Belichick to reap the worst karma by getting absolutely nothing out of Harry.