Everything A.J. Brown Said About Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel, Patriots After Trade from Eagles

Wide receiver A.J. Brown seems happy with the trade that sent him from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots earlier this week.

"Obviously, I know this ain't heaven. But it's close to it," Brown said Tuesday.

Brown said he was originally "disappointed" to have been drafted by the Tennessee Titans rather than the New England Patriots in 2019, per NFL Network's Bridget Condon.

The wide receiver added that he is now getting the chance to play for his "childhood team."

"Caught myself at one point in practice, wasn't paying attention because I was like, 'Dang, I'm a Patriot,'" Brown said.

Brown has already met quarterback Drake Maye, whom he said he was "impressed" by during an offensive meeting Tuesday morning.

"He kind of took over the meeting... that says so much from a young guy, to know what he's talking about and wanting to lead, to be the voice of this team," Brown said. "When I heard that, I was like, 'Wow.' I was impressed."

Brown also shared his impression of head coach Mike Vrabel, who he said he originally "did not like" during his career-opening stint with the Titans.

"I've grown... He's a great guy. He coaches hard, holds guys accountable," Brown said (h/t Boston.com's Conor Ryan). "I'm not saying that lightly, he really does. He leads this group, leads the team.

"Honestly I believe he's daring somebody to challenge him, so he can show you. He still thinks he can play."

Brown was traded to the Eagles on Monday in exchange for a 2028 first-rounder and a 2027 fifth-round pick.

The Patriots announced shortly after the trade that Brown would be wearing No. 1 despite getting permission from former New England legend Julian Edelman to continue wearing No. 11.

"He gave me grace to wear 11, but I got so much respect and so much love for him," Brown said Tuesday about Edelman (h/t Sleeper HQ's Carlos A. Lopez). "I'm going to create my own legacy here."

Brown additionally touched on his tenure in Philadelphia, which ended with an up-and-down season during which he seemingly criticized how the Eagles were using him.

The campaign was capped off by a sideline argument between Brown and head coach Nick Sirianni as the Eagles were eliminated in a Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

"I won't get into details about it," Brown said about his exit from the Eagles (h/t 7 News Boston's Ari Alexander). "I'm excited for this opportunity.

"I'm here now, not to get into the details. None of that stuff matters. What's done is done, and I'm here, and we move forward."

Brown will now hope to get more consistent usage as the Patriots' prospective WR1 in front of Romeo Doubs.

Fans got a first look at the connection between Maye and Brown when he joined the team for Tuesday OTAs.

Vrabel expressed faith Tuesday in Brown's ability to adjust to his new team before reuniting this summer with the Eagles, who are coming to New England in August for two days of joint practices prior to an Aug. 22 preseason matchup.