Patriots Open OTA 2: A.J. Brown Arrives

Attendance

Absent: WR Kayshon Boutte, CB Carlton Davis III, WR Kyle Dixon, CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Mack Hollins, ED Gabe Jacas, ED Harold Landry III, CB Marcus Jones

Did Not Participate: LB K.J. Britt, WR Kyle Dixon, ED Bradyn Swinson, CB Charles Woods

Limited: LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, CB Marcellas Dial Jr.

Injured: RT Morgan Moses

Tweet of the Day

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On the importance of trading for A.J. Brown: I think just trying to improve our football team [in] every possible way, give our offense multiple weapons to build on what we did last year,” Vrabel said when asked about the importance of trading for Brown. “I think having experience with the person, to be able to add an accomplished NFL football player, receiver, premium player at his position, but somebody that we also feel strongly about as a person, a competitor, and a teammate. I appreciate Eliot [Wolf] for being able to work and get that done.

On the decision to place Julian Hill on injured reserve: Julian won’t be able to play this season. That’s plain and simple. Devastating, awful. Really enjoy the person, and want to have him around here as much as we possibly can. But that’s just because he wouldn’t be able to play this season. So, that’s just disappointing because of the impact that he made in a short amount of time with his teammates, and just the person that he is, the way that he practiced. We want Julian to be a part of us as much as possible. He’s just not going to do that on the field this year.

On Brown’s position flexibility: I think all the guys right now are going to learn a lot of the different positions. I think the ones that have been here – that’s how Todd [Downing]’s tried to install the offense, is to know what each player has on each concept and learn it that way. I would imagine that A.J. would do the same, and give guys the ability to line inside, Kyle [Williams], or line outside and use Romeo [Doubs] inside. Right now, he’s going to have to learn one position, and I would imagine that’s going to be outside. But as that grows, I know that will be across the board. I think that’s hopefully something that he’s looking forward to do. But you have to learn one before you can learn them all.

On Christian Gonzalez’s contract situation: I think the contract is the business and the professional side of this. The personal side, I don’t want to let anything interfere with that. I want Christian to be ready when he comes back. I would imagine that he would be here next week. If he is, then we’ll coach him, be ready to move on, and get him ready to help us and help himself. Contracts are part of professional sports, I understand that. But I also know that those should remain private. Like any contract negotiation, you want to make sure that everybody feels like they get something out of it, and I’ll leave it at that.

Headline: A.J. Brown Arrives

A.J. Brown made his Patriots debut on Tuesday afternoon after passing his physical following yesterday’s trade from the Eagles. The acquisition reunites Brown with several coaches and staff members he worked with in Tennessee, including reigning NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel.

“I think he loves football,” Vrabel said of Brown. “I think he has a physical skill set, he’s got great body control, he’s strong at the catch point. But I also think as he’s grown as a player and as a receiver, just the nuances of releases versus press, playing versus bracketed coverages or zone coverages. He plays physical with the football and has been a productive and consistent player.”

Brown was the center of attention as he took the field in his signature dark visor and pink cleats. He spent most of warm-ups with Mack Hollins, who’s entering his third season in coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system, and  Todd Downing, who spent three seasons with Brown in Tennessee. Brown also told reporters that he declined Downing’s invitation to lead the receivers during position drills, stating he wants to earn his spot.

Brown was limited to a handful of reps during team periods, but Drake Maye looked his way twice in one-on-one situations to the backside. The first was a curl completion against solid coverage, but Maye had to move off of Brown on the second due to safety help, an early preview of what might be coming as their connection improves.

Leftovers

• Drake Maye was solid today and had fewer lows than he did last week in front of the media. Maye capitalized on coverage breakdowns for chunk gains to Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas, showed excellent touch on an out to Henry along the sideline, hit a backside dig to Kyle Williams, and showed impressive awareness to double-clutch and avoid his second batted pass of the day on a short throw to Jack Westover. On the other end of the spectrum, Maye had two spray misses that may have involved miscommunications, and he overthrew TreVeyon Henderson in the flat early.
• With Julian Hill on season-ending injured reserve, Westover stepped up as TE2 behind Henry.
• The offensive line saw more shuffling this week than reporters saw during last week’s open session, especially with Morgan Moses leaving early in team periods. Caleb Lomu took most snaps in the veteran’s place with Marcus Bryant rotating behind him. Both Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich repped at starting left guard, which was manned exclusively by Rupcich last week. They also rotated at backup center. Backup tackle James Hudson III lined up at right tackle and right guard after sticking on the blindside last Wednesday. Dametrious Crownover was primarily the backup right tackle, but flipped to the left side briefly late in practice.
• Mack Hollins returned to practice and remained a regular presence in the top offense.
• Through two open practices, Efton Chism has appeared to out-snap fellow sophomore Williams, who’s been the backup X receiver behind Romeo Doubs. Williams was the only one of the two who caught a pass from Maye, and there’s plenty of time for the speedster to carve out a larger role, but the disparity has been notable for this reporter.
• Leonard Taylor III batted two passes during today’s practice.
• Brenden Schooler forced a fumble on a screen pass to Henderson. Coaches didn’t seem pleased, and the team moved on to the next period.
• Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Kobee Minor, was the top slot corner today, and he nearly intercepted a middle-field throw to Doubs that ended in an incompletion.
• OL coach Doug Marrone will be absent until training camp after having his knee cleaned up, per Mike Vrabel.