Mike Vrabel played huge role in the Patriots’ A.J. Brown trade (obviously)

At long last, A.J. Brown has been traded.

The Philadelphia Eagles sent the star receiver to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick, ending a protracted trade saga that began months ago. The Eagles were widely expected to move on from Brown, and New England was viewed as one of the likeliest suitors to land him.

Advertisement

It seems that there was more about the Patriots that was appealing to Brown than just the opportunity to play with one of the NFL's top young quarterbacks in Drake Maye. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brown's connections to coach Mike Vrabel proved to be a major selling point as Philadelphia looked for a trade partner.

Brown began his career with the Tennessee Titans, where he played under Vrabel for three years from 2019-21. Vrabel told Schefter that the two remained connected "beyond football" in the years since Brown was traded to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL draft.

The addition of Brown gives New England a true No. 1 receiver in the wake of the decision to release Stefon Diggs. Brown has turned in 1,000-yard seasons every year since joining the league except for 2021, and he did so in each of the past two seasons despite being limited to 13 and 15 games, respectively.

Advertisement

Philadelphia signaled Brown's departure by adding free agent receivers Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore while trading for Dontayvion Wicks. The Eagles also traded up to select Makai Lemon in the first round of the draft.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Mike Vrabel connection played big role in Patriots' A.J. Brown