There is a lot of excitement surrounding the New England Patriots at the start of training camp, and a big reason for that is the chance to see A.J. Brown formally practicing with the team for the first time this summer. Because fans have longed for the receiver since he was drafted, it almost feels surreal to finally see him suited up with the team and what his presence can do for the offense.
We've seen glimpses of the connection between Brown and Drake Maye already, some of which have been deep throws that just barely went through the receiver's hands.
That was a focal point of this weekend's practices, as Brown wasn't able to make an impressive grab at the start of camp, and apparently, it's something that Mike Vrabel wasn't ready to let go of when the team went over the day's work.
There were high expectations for Brown immediately upon joining the team, and it's beyond clear that Vrabel is going to hold him to that standard moving forward. And because of that, the head coach is proving that nobody is above criticism, not even a 3-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with a Super Bowl win to his name, and that's a solid message to send to this young team.
Mike Vrabel isn't letting A.J. Brown get too comfortable early in his Patriots tenure
While speaking to reporters after Monday's practice, Brown revealed that Vrabel "ripped" him for missing a big-time catch from Maye, which he was actually appreciative of.
It's very reminiscent of the Bill Belichick days, who didn't hesitate to criticize missed plays by any top player, especially Tom Brady, proving to the rest of the team that nobody is above critique, and that goes a long way in a locker room.
“First team meeting, he had ripped me for almost bringing in a catch, and he expected me to make that play. Early on, as a rookie, I didn’t really like that too much, but now I know it comes from a great place, and he expects me to make that play, and so do I.”
Despite their history together with the Titans, Vrabel is making it clear that Brown is not about to get preferential treatment in any way. That's the kind of message to send to an up-and-coming team filled with young players, setting a standard that nobody is off-limits and everyone is treated the same.
It's not true for other teams across the league, and it can become an issue behind the scenes. But there has always been an emphasis on accountability in Foxboro, as we know from Belichick's ease of criticizing even the biggest stars the team has had over the years, and it appears Vrabel is continuing that tradition.
The hope and assumption, if we're being honest, is that these kinds of call-outs to Brown from Vrabel won't happen too often, since he is set to be the inarguable WR1 for Maye moving forward. But at the very least, this is a good message for the rest of the team to see and learn from as they head into a very telling Year 2 under their head coach, with sky-high expectations after a season that ended in a Super Bowl appearance.
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