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A.J. Brown trade winners and losers: Who gets a bump from blockbuster deal? Who takes a hit?
Published: Jun 01, 2026 at 04:35 PM
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Michael Baca

Digital Content Editor

After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown’s status in Philadelphia, the Patriots are acquiring the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver in a trade. On Monday, the Eagles announced that New England will send a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder over in exchange for Brown, pending a physical.

Thus ends Brown’s successful yet tumultuous tenure with the Eagles, which featured a triumphant Super Bowl win, press conference drama between the wide receiver and his coaching staff and a great promotion for “Inner Excellence.”

With the dust settling on this blockbuster trade, let’s see who the winners and losers are from Brown’s exit.

WINNERS

Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots: Of all the winners (and there are plenty in the fallout of this deal), there’s perhaps no bigger beneficiary than Maye, who will get a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver in his follow-up to a breakout season. Armed with strong hands, a big body and a knack for YAC, Brown demands the respect of opposing defenses, and that kind of attention will garner tilted coverages Maye didn’t often see while leading a ragtag group of wideouts to Super Bowl LX in 2025. Up against higher expectations in 2026, Maye will surely be glad to have a game-changer like Brown, still in his physical prime headed into his age-29 season and no doubt ready to be utilized more after a couple of frustrating years in Philadelphia.

Maye has the arm talent to exploit Brown’s strengths, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a history of propagating stellar seasons for X receivers, including Randy Moss (2007), Brandon Marshall (2009) and Davante Adams (2022). Brown had no issue acclimating to a new system when arriving to Philadelphia in 2022 — setting an Eagles single-season record with 1,496 receiving yards — and his presence alone should also lead to trickle-down opportunities for the rest of the offense (SEE: Saquon Barkley’s entrance into the 2,000-yard club), but it will be Maye who is helped the most as he enters a crucial sequel to what was a promising campaign for the Patriots.

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Howie Roseman, GM, Philadelphia Eagles: After months of side-stepping questions regarding Brown’s status on the Eagles, Roseman can put another feather in his cap after earning a future first-round pick for a player who seemed to be pretty much on the outs in Philly. Roseman gave up first- and third-round picks in 2022 to acquire Brown before handing him a three-year, $96 million extension that ran through 2029. Brown then returned the two best receiving seasons in Eagles history (2022-23) and helped facilitate two Super Bowl runs, the last of which ended with a Lombardi Trophy (2024). Waiting until after June 1 to make this trade also allowed Philadelphia to split the dead-money hit ($43.45 million) from parting with Brown over the next two seasons — the cherry on top of what has been savvy roster management by Roseman. Sure, there were unwelcome distractions involving Brown along the way, but from a GM’s perspective, anyone would take these results.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: It remains to be seen how Smith adjusts to life as the presumptive No. 1 option, but the opportunity alone classifies him as a winner in this scenario, in light of the potential that he’ll make a big leap. The Eagles’ comfort with trading Brown is a great compliment to Smith, who has grown into an elite WR2 over the past four seasons by producing three 1,000-yard campaigns in that span. The 27-year-old, who came into the league with questions surrounding his size (6-foot, 170 pounds), has shown tremendous growth in his route-running and field awareness, which allows him to create splash plays with his blazing speed. Of course, Smith’s production has largely been with Brown dictating coverages on the other side, but the Eagles’ new WR1 appears game for the role after establishing a great rapport with QB Jalen Hurts. Two years ago, when Brown was still clearly in the fold, Philadelphia signed Smith to a hefty contract extension that runs through 2028, and this season could set the table for an even bigger payday down the road.

Mike Vrabel, HC, New England Patriots: News of this blockbuster trade helps Vrabel in more ways than one. Brown not only heightens the potential of a Maye-led offense, but he has experience doing what the Patriots will be trying to accomplish: returning to the Super Bowl after a loss. Brown achieved that in Philadelphia (a passionate sports town where teams face similar pressures to those in Boston), and as a star player, he can be invaluable to Vrabel’s efforts at spreading the right message in 2026. Yes, the pair’s previous time together in Tennessee ended with Brown being shipped out of town. But Brown recently expressed a greater sense of appreciation for Vrabel’s coaching style than he had as a young player, and Vrabel responded with a statement of public admiration. In other words, everything looks copasetic between the two as they embark on a new chapter in New England.

LOSERS

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: Hurts’ rise to stardom coincided with the arrival of Brown in 2022, prompting Philadelphia’s surge and cementing the club’s future at the game’s most important position. I expect Hurts to make the proper adjustments without Brown and maintain his winning ways as one of the more versatile quarterbacks in the NFL. However, I can’t help but picture moments where the absence of a hulking wideout will loom large this season. Philadelphia prepared for the departure of Brown this offseason, adding veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown before drafting Makai Lemon and pass-catching tight end Eli Stowers in April. No one can duplicate the size, range and field awareness that Brown possesses, though.

Aside from losing his go-to target, Hurts also enters 2026 with his fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. It’s easy to imagine Sean Mannion looking to revitalize the Eagles offense by emphasizing a strong running attack that could take some pressure off Hurts as a passer, but I’m expecting Brown’s absence to be felt. Just as Maye was the big winner of the Brown trade, his counterpart in Philadelphia is disadvantaged.

AFC East defensive coordinators: New England’s WR1 upgrade is poised to bring massive challenges to those preparing to face the Patriots in 2026. All three of New England’s divisional foes enter the season with new directors on defense: Buffalo’s Jim Leonhard, Miami’s Sean Duggan and New York’s Brian Duker, who are all first-time defensive coordinators in the NFL to boot. Looking at the rosters for the Bills, Dolphins and Jets, none of those teams possess the prototypical lockdown cornerback that could negate Brown’s presence, which should excite Patriots OC Josh McDaniels. We will have to wait and see what exactly they have to offer defensively, but as of right now, the twice-a-year exercise of trying to handle Brown looks like a big problem for New England’s AFC East foes.

Kayshon Boutte, WR, New England Patriots: Boutte seems likely to be the odd man out upon Brown’s arrival despite showing flashes as a deep threat last season. The 2023 sixth-round pick averaged 16.7 yards per reception and scored six touchdowns in the regular season. And he put the final nail in Houston’s coffin with a memorable fourth-quarter score in the Divisional Round. Boutte, who is entering a contract year, was absent from the Patriots’ voluntary practices last week. Perhaps Boutte will find a better situation through a trade or release, but it’s looking like his tenure in New England is coming to an end.

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Analysis

Myles Garrett trade winners and losers: Rams Super Bowl-ready? What can Jared Verse do with Browns?
Published: Jun 01, 2026 at 06:14 PM
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Nick Shook

Around The NFL Writer

Just after 1 p.m. ET Monday, news broke of a stunning trade: Myles Garrett is headed west to join the Los Angeles Rams, who are sending back 2024 first-rounder Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick in exchange for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

It had been roughly 16 months since Garrett first requested the Browns deal him elsewhere, an ask that preceded the market-resetting four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed in March of 2025. And while the new money seemed to address Garrett’s prior discontent, speculation about a possible move out of town never fully dissipated.

The rumors returned with force Monday morning, inspiring fresh buzz that coincided with the arrival of the important June 1 checkpoint, which allows teams trading away players to spread the ensuing dead-money hit over two years. Mere hours later, we learned of an agreement between the Rams and Browns on a massive blockbuster.

Garrett is joining a Los Angeles team that is clearly all in on pursuing a Super Bowl in 2026. Verse will head east to Cleveland, where he’ll replace Garrett on a team that is quietly assembling a promising young core, for which Verse should serve as a pillar going forward.

As the dust settles from the explosion ignited by general managers Les Snead of the Rams and Andrew Berry of the Browns, we’re left only to analyze what happened and what it means going forward.

WINNERS

1) Chris Shula, DC, Los Angles Rams: Los Angeles’ heartbreaking defeat in the NFC Championship Game was largely pinned on the defensive failures exhibited in the 31-27 loss to Seattle. The main culprit was the Rams’ secondary, a position group Snead upgraded aggressively via a trade for corner Trent McDuffie and the addition of McDuffie’s fellow former Chiefs corner Jaylen Watson.

That alone would have been enough to generally satisfy Rams fans. Monday’s trade, however, no doubt pushed the optimism over the edge.

Garrett’s arrival supplies Shula — a defensive coordinator whose successes nearly landed him a head coaching job in 2026 — with a game-wrecking force uniquely skilled enough to create mismatches anywhere along the defensive front. Instead of watching his pass rush register pressures but fail to get home, Shula can now deploy Garrett wherever he prefers and create advantages elsewhere. If he gets Garrett in a one-on-one matchup, he can smile as he watches Garrett destroy a tackle before swallowing up an opposing quarterback. Garrett joins Los Angeles fresh off a record-setting 23-sack campaign and has recorded at least 10 sacks in each of the past eight campaigns (he had seven in his 2017 rookie season).

That 346-yard, three-touchdown performance Sam Darnold authored in the NFC title game? Shula will now have the tools necessary to prevent something like that from happening again. Even if Garrett isn’t reaching pay dirt, his mere presence should free up others along that talented front toward clearer paths to the quarterback. In fact, add Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske to the group of winners here, too. Everybody should expect to eat in Los Angeles in 2026, thanks to Garrett’s arrival.

2) Myles Garrett, DE, Los Angeles Rams: Over the last two seasons, Garrett wasn’t bashful about how the Browns’ frequent losses drained him. Nothing is quite as rejuvenating as an ocean breeze, sunshine and a legitimate chance to win a ring.

Garrett will pack up and leave Cleveland — his football home for the majority of the last decade, for better or worse — for a consistent, stable winner in Los Angeles. He’ll arrive to great expectations and will be fully equipped to deliver on them under the direction of Shula. And for the first time since the 2023 season, Garrett can expect to play meaningful football in December and January.

If anybody deserved a breath of fresh air in his career journey, it’s Garrett. He’ll find that and more with the Rams. Even better: After signing an extension and toning down his discontent over the last year, he probably won’t leave Cleveland as a villain, either.

3) Andrew Berry, GM, Cleveland Browns: Berry stayed on the job despite Kevin Stefanski’s departure as head coach in January, with the GM figuratively clinging to his productive 2025 draft class like a life raft floating on an angry sea. Berry followed that up with another promising draft in 2026, no doubt buying himself more optimism that likely increased with Monday’s deal.

Yes, it isn’t common for a GM to receive positive marks after trading away a generational player, but in this instance, it makes plenty of sense. Garrett is 30 years old and has five years remaining on his lucrative deal, one that includes an escalating cap number that nudges up against $50 million in 2030, at which point he’ll be 34.

Cleveland isn’t likely to be contending in the next year or two, at least not seriously enough to justify holding onto an aging superstar. If Berry was going to receive a maximum return on Garrett, the time was now. And to Berry’s credit, he structured Garrett’s extension with the flexibility to make such a deal without ruining Cleveland’s cap situation.

NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, along with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reported Berry repeatedly rebuffed the Rams’ persistent offers for Garrett until they added Verse to the deal. That’s when the vision became clear to Berry: receive a haul of picks that includes a first-rounder in the loaded 2027 draft class and add a younger, cheaper replacement who fits the franchise’s long-term timeline better than Garrett.

Verse is not Garrett. Nobody is Garrett. But Verse is a proven commodity with a bright future and the crown jewel of an excellent return that includes the 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round selection. If Berry continues to find success in his rebuilding efforts, Verse’s acquisition might eventually represent a crucial inflection point.

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LOSERS

1) Jared Verse, Edge, Cleveland Browns: As a Northeast Ohio native, former Los Angeles resident and current occupant of Cleveland, I feel I’m qualified to make this statement: It’s going to be tough for Verse to trade the sunny skies of L.A. for the Forest City.

And the adjustment will be about more than weather. Sure, the Florida State product hasn’t seen winter in awhile, but he should be accustomed to it, having been born in Dayton, Ohio, before playing high school ball in Pennsylvania. Perhaps harder to handle will be the Browns’ competitive timeline.

Cleveland is in the midst of a multi-year reconstruction that produced positive results in 2025 and carries promise into 2026 thanks to another encouraging draft. It also doesn’t signal immediate contention. As a rookie, Verse reveled in playoff villainy in Philadelphia. Last season, he fell one win shy of a Super Bowl appearance. He will likely have to accept less in Cleveland — for now.

If all goes according to plan, Verse might be in his prime just as the Browns are mounting their own title pursuit. Plenty has to break right before then, though, and it will be difficult for Verse to pack up and move away from a legitimate chance to win a title in favor of joining a team still working toward contention.

2) Browns fans who own Myles Garrett jerseys. It’s not often a player ends his career as a one-helmet guy, but after Cleveland ponied up the big bucks to appease Garrett and set a new financial standard for the edge rusher position last offseason, it felt as if Garrett might finish his career with the Browns. At the time of that deal, his agent, Nicole Lynn, even charted a direct, 60-mile course south from Cleveland to Canton, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, when commenting on the new contract.

So much for that idea. The trade to Los Angeles ends Garrett’s tenure in Cleveland after nine seasons, 125.5 sacks, seven Pro Bowl nods, five first-team All-Pro selections and one record-setting campaign in 2025.

Browns fans got their final moment in the (Cincinnati) sun in January when Garrett took down Joe Burrow for his historic 23rd sack, breaking a record that had stood since 2001. Little did they know those cinematic final six minutes of a comeback victory would be Garrett’s last in a Browns uniform.

Now Garrett’s brown and orange No. 95 jersey will go into the mothballs for a lot of fans, only to return when Garrett takes the stage in Canton one day.

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Saints WR Chris Olave aiming for a contract extension by training camp
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 06:46 AM
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Kevin Patra

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No one would have looked sideways at New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave had he skipped voluntary offseason workouts searching for a big-money contract extension. Instead, the second-team All-Pro has participated in the sessions, including organized team activities.

Olave was asked last week whether he considered staying away as a deal was being worked out.

“I’m committed to winning, first of all, and I feel like I’m a team player,” Olave said, via WWL Radio. “The contract is a whole different side of the game. It’s the business side.”

The commitment from a player who has experienced one winning campaign in four and never made the postseason still comes with an expectation that a new deal is around the bend. He would like it done before training camp in July.

“I feel like we’re going to come down to that before training camp,” Olave said, hoping to avoid more holdout chatter later this summer. “I hope we do, so we don’t affect the chemistry and stuff going into training camp, but I think it’s going to get done soon.”

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Olave enters the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and is set to earn $15.493 million in 2026.

The Saints have spoken optimistically about getting a deal done with Olave, but have yet to lock down the former first-round pick up long-term. It feels, at this point, less like an “if” question and more about when the deal is consummated and how much it costs.

The wide receiver market is booming, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba resetting the top of the position at $42.15 million per season. Ten wideouts make more than $30 million. Where does Olave land in that stretch? Boasting three 1,000-plus yard seasons in four campaigns, Olave is a playmaking talent with smooth route-running ability that allows him to beat any coverage. He’s a legit No. 1 in a growing offense. However, he has had injury concerns, never playing 17 games in a season, and has never earned a Pro Bowl nod.

Regardless of where the sides settle, it’s clear that Olave has earned his payday, and the Saints, with the addition of first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson, want to keep him around to grow with quarterback Tyler Shough and the rest of Kellen Moore’s offense.

“I think more than anything it just shows he wants to be here,” Shough said of Olave’s work this offseason. “He wants to work hard. He’s doing that every single day. He likes being around the guys and I think he’s just such a value to this team that everybody understands and I think that’s just part of the business side of it. That happens, but more than anything, it shows how much he loves it here.”

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Neil Reynolds reacts to Myles Garrett trade
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 07:19 AM
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Neil Reynolds

Neil Reynolds presents all of Sky Sports coverage in the UK

The NFL truly is a league that never sleeps and that was emphatically proven on what should have been a relatively quiet time in the calendar. Instead, Monday June 1, 2026, will go down as a date to be remembered in pro football history.

Odell Beckham Jr. returned to the New York Giants and AJ Brown was – as expected – traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots. But those two wide receiver moves were nowhere near the biggest headline on a seismic day that could shape the entire 2026 season.

Myles Garrett – the best defender in the game, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and holder of the single-season sack record – was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams.

In the blockbuster deal, the Rams received the seven-time Pro Bowler. The Browns received the Rams’ first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-rounder in 2028, a third-round choice in 2029 and edge rusher Jared Verse, who was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Here are my random and initial thoughts on the trade…

Super Bowl or bust for the Rams

There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Rams – who lost last season’s NFC Championship Game to the Seattle Seahawks – are all-in for the Super Bowl. Earlier this offseason they traded for Kansas City cornerback Trent McDuffie and now they have added an historic pass-rusher in Garrett. It means an already-high bar has been raised further. If the Rams don’t win this upcoming season’s Super Bowl, that will be deemed a failure.

An obvious win for the Rams

The skills and impact of Garrett are on full display every Sunday, so I have no doubt he is going to be at his elite best in Los Angeles; even at the age of 30. He will continue to produce game-changing plays and will now do it on a team that will hold quite a lot of leads throughout the 2026 season. The thought of Myles being able to pin his ears back with no concerns about defending the run in the second half of games are terrifying. And with Garrett being double-teamed constantly, the likes of Byron Young (12 sacks in 2025) and Kobie Turner (7 sacks) are set for monster seasons.

But this is also a win for the Browns

Cleveland boasted the league’s best defender in 2025 and Garrett registered 23 sacks in a campaign that might not be matched for quite some time. But the Browns still won just five games. So, from their point of view, one player – albeit one of the greatest in franchise history – is not going to power them to the Super Bowl. They need to keep adding young players and the 2027 NFL Draft is likely when they go hunting for their franchise quarterback of the future. Collecting as many picks as possible before making that particular move was always going to be vital. But picks alone were never going to be enough from a Rams team likely to do very well in 2026. Any selections heading to Cleveland were likely to be in the lower parts of a round. But acquiring Verse is a solid move for the Browns. He is no Myles Garrett, but Verse is five years younger and is a very good player on the rise. In two seasons with the Rams, the two-time Pro Bowler has recorded 12 sacks and five forced fumbles. Those numbers do not tell the whole story. Verse is a defender who must be accounted for at all times and his arrival in Cleveland – even if he probably didn’t want to head to Ohio – means the Browns don’t have a gaping hole in their D.

An unlikely comeback

The rumour mill is operating at high speed after Garrett booked his flight to Los Angeles. The main (and fun) question focuses on the future of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. In 10 seasons with the Rams, arguably the most dynamic defensive tackle in NFL history recorded 111 sacks and powered LA to Super Bowl glory in the 2021 season. He retired after the 2023 season and is now 35 years old. But Donald routinely posts workout videos to social media and he looks in great shape. He posted one on the day of the Garrett trade with the caption… “Ready.” Is that a coincidence or a hint at the formation of what would be a devastating partnership? If Donald does make a comeback, that would further strengthen an already-scary defense.

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Eagles’ Howie Roseman on 2028 first-rounder compensation in A.J. Brown trade: ‘A pick is a pick’
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 08:19 AM
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Kevin Patra

Senior News Writer

When the long-awaited A.J. Brown trade to New England finally went down, the compensation the Eagles received seemed a bit less than initially anticipated.

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman entered the offseason reportedly seeking first- and second-round picks for the receiver with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and three Pro Bowls. While that ask always seemed outsized, the eventual deal pushed that first-round compensation until 2028. Philly also added a 2027 fifth-rounder.

The general rule for evaluating draft pick trades is to devalue each year by a round. So that 2028 first-rounder is valued similarly to a 2027 second-round pick. Extrapolating out, it’d have been equal to a 2026 third-rounder.

However, that’s not how Roseman is mathing out the problem.

“For us to take a 2026 pick, and that’s a late first-round pick, and obviously also have to deal with the cap consequences that come with making a trade prior to June 1, it made some sense for us to look at future picks,” Roseman said Monday, via The Athletic. “We’ve always been in the mindset that a pick is a pick — a first-round pick is a first-round pick. Doesn’t matter. Teams are still going to be playing football in 2028.”

With all due respect to Roseman, one of the best GMs in the NFL, that’s hellish spin.

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It made perfect sense for Philly not to ask for a 2026 first-rounder in a shallow draft class, considering the financial implications of trading Brown before June 1. But the fact that the top-flight pick didn’t come in 2027 underscores the lack of leverage he had after the Los Angeles Rams bowed out of the running.

The Eagles got less in return for Brown than the Dolphins did for Jaylen Waddle — 2026 first- and third-selections. Both are excellent receivers, and Waddle is 19 months younger, but Brown is clearly the better player at this stage, and a top-five wideout when he’s right.

Roseman knows he’s spinning because, at some point, when the uber-trader is in a conversation with another GM about a potential trade and the Eagles are trying to squeeze out a more favorable deal, he’ll get that “a pick is a pick” quote thrown back in his face. Howie will probably chuckle and continue to push for a pick that isn’t two draft classes from when they’re dealing.

Luckily for Roseman, he has the job security to wait until 2028 to get his first-round pick and could use that chip next year to move up. It’s not ideal, but given that the situation with Brown became untenable and Philly was negotiating from a negative position, it’s better than what they could have gotten.

“I think from our perspective, getting a first-round pick for our team, having two first-round picks in ’28 is a huge, huge part of this move,” Roseman said. “I think that when you look at that and obviously the options of what you’re able to do with having multiple first-round picks, it’s a huge game-changer, and I feel very, very confident that those picks are the most valuable things that you can add as you’re building your team. I know there’s a lot of attention on the 2027 draft, but at the same time, looking at the ’28 draft, I feel confident that that’s going to be a good draft as well, and that we’ll be in position to really improve our football team.”

Roseman got his first-round pick. He just has to wait a while before he can actually spend it.

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Bengals react to Browns’ Myles Garrett trade: ‘Good for us’
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 09:24 AM
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Kevin Patra

Senior News Writer

The Cincinnati Bengals are the biggest beneficiaries of the offseason overhauls happening throughout the AFC North.

The Cleveland Browns’ trade of Myles Garrett to Los Angeles on Monday was the latest chip to fall in their favor. Garrett has terrorized most teams he’s faced, but was a particular menace to Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Garrett has sacked Burrow more times (13) than any other quarterback he’s faced.

Backup QB Joe Flacco, a former teammate of Garrett’s, put it succinctly when asked about Cleveland shipping the pass rusher out of the division.

“Good for us,” Flacco said Monday, via the team’s official website.

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It’s good for Cincy offensive tackles Orlando Brown and Amarius Mims, who no longer have to face the NFL’s single-season sack record holder twice a year. But Brown noted that Jared Verse, part of Cleveland’s return in the deal, is still a formidable opponent, and that one player does not make a team go.

“It doesn’t matter. You still have to go win on Sundays. Congrats to Myles. That’s how I feel. We still have to go win,” Brown said. “(Verse) is a young player who is also a great player. Very talented. I have a lot of respect for his game.”

Mims echoed those thoughts.

“It’s the hardest division anywhere, whether it’s Myles Garrett or Jared Verse,” Mims said. “Both great players. Both have been to the Pro Bowl. Verse has been every year he’s been in the league. We came in together. A great player. You’ve got to block both of them at the end of the day.”

With the Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers undergoing coaching changes, the Bengals sit as the most stable club in the AFC North. No longer having to face Garrett twice makes their task of climbing back to the postseason a little easier in 2026.

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Analysis

NFL teams under the microscope in 2026: Bills, Rams, Cowboys among nine in searing spotlight
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 11:13 AM
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Eric Edholm

Lead Draft Writer

With fewer than 100 days until the start of the 2026 NFL campaign, I wanted to drill down on the organizations that figure to start the season most squarely in the camera eye.

This list is not limited to assumed front-runners. Sure, they’re the bulk of the teams facing the most pressure — and the teams with the most non-fans watching from the outside in — but I also wanted to single out some franchises that have been thrust into the spotlight based on offseason moves, coaching changes and/or fan bases tired of losing.

Some teams here will exceed expectations. Others will wither in the face of tension. But there’s little question that each of these nine squads, ranked according to the pressure I expect them to feel, will face a stronger glare than others.

Rank
1
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Buffalo Bills
2025 record: 12-5

It’s a time for change in Western New York, with Joe Brady replacing Sean McDermott as head coach and Buffalo opening new Highmark Stadium across the street from the old place. The expectations haven’t changed, however: The Bills still view themselves as Super Bowl contenders.

Josh Allen is the biggest reason why. He’s a superstar QB who played at a slightly-less-than-superstar level last season. And though he’ll have some more help at receiver this season, the pressure to win has been raised, as Allen turned 30 this spring. His window to claim a Lombardi Trophy won’t suddenly close if the Bills can’t do it this season, but naysayers will continue to suggest he can’t win the big one.

Brady was a controversial hire, elevated from offensive coordinator to finish the race that McDermott started. Could this situation be similar to Gary Kubiak replacing John Fox in Denver and winning a Super Bowl in Kubiak’s first season? Or might it be a repeat of the Bears firing Lovie Smith after three non-losing seasons and falling off a cliff for the following five years?

With Allen in his prime, it’s hard to imagine him or the Bills suddenly tanking. But after years of near misses — including last season, when the bottom fell out on the AFC — there’s absolutely no guarantee they’ll be able to reach the mountaintop either.

Rank
2
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Los Angeles Rams
2025 record: 12-5

Recently, I ranked the Rams as having the most complete roster in the NFL despite the division-rival Seahawks beating them twice in three tries last season and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end. And that was before the Rams swung one of the biggest NFL trades in recent memory, landing Myles Garrett, which will pair the reigning Defensive Player of the Year with the reigning MVP (Matthew Stafford).

After last season, the area that needed the most help — by far — was the secondary, where Los Angeles made two big additions in CBs Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. By shoring up that position, the Rams have no obvious, glaring weaknesses. Swapping Jared Verse for Garrett is another big upgrade up front. That’s no slight to Verse; Garrett is a generational game-wrecker who just broke the single-season sacks record.

Despite those blockbuster acquisitions, Los Angeles still has to go out and prove its superiority, and the division-rival Seahawks are one of many obstacles the Rams face. L.A. has one of the toughest schedules out there, opening with four 2025 playoff opponents in the first five games and closing the season with a wicked post-bye run.

Stafford recently signed an extension to keep him under contract through 2027, but he seems to be in a year-to-year mindset right now. He turns 39 a week before Super Bowl LXI, which just so happens to be scheduled for SoFi Stadium. The last time the big game was there, Stafford was throwing no-look passes in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory. Could history repeat? 

Rank
3
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Kansas City Chiefs
2025 record: 6-11

The Chiefs have been under the microscope to a degree for more than a decade, and especially during the Patrick Mahomes era. Last season was the first time since Mahomes entered the staring lineup that the playoffs began and the Chiefs were not a threat to win it all.

Instead, they were sent home early, with Mahomes rehabbing a torn ACL. He has maintained that his goal is to return to the field ready for Week 1, and that alone will have extra eyes peering in on Kansas City. Throw in what could be Travis Kelce’s final NFL season, and there will be some nervous energy in Chiefs Kingdom as the team tries to bounce back from an unseemly 6-11 record.

On top of that, there’s the Rashee Rice drama after he recently violated the terms of his probation and was ordered to serve jail time. With Rice, the Chiefs appear to be Super Bowl contenders, but without him — and he’s missed a lot of time via injuries and suspensions in the last two seasons — they lack a clear go-to guy at receiver.

The Broncos and Chargers both finished ahead of the Chiefs last season, with each team sweeping Kansas City in 2025. And the cellar-dwelling Raiders look far friskier after a big offseason. The Chiefs are in a spot they’ve not been in for quite some time — having finished last season with six straight losses — and many will be tuning in to see how they acquit themselves.

Rank
4
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Dallas Cowboys
2025 record: 7-9-1

The spotlight never really dims on Dallas, but after two straight seven-win seasons, the tension has been raised a notch. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had the Cowboys playing some decent football after a slow start last season, and they were in the playoff race for a hot minute, but it quickly dissipated when the defense reverted to form.

Dallas added nearly 20 new players on defense, and it wouldn’t be stunning if half of them or more joined the two-deep. Allowing 30 points per outing just won’t cut it again; the Cowboys lost four games and tied another despite scoring 24-plus points. There’s a lot of pressure on 34-year-old Christian Parker to fix this thing in his first year as a defensive coordinator. He’ll have more talent than Dallas fielded last season, for sure, but there is a lot of youth and a lot that must be sorted out — namely, who plays where and how much.

There’s also pressure on Dak Prescott to echo his greatness. All things considered, he was pretty terrific in 2025, but the team also failed to top 20 points in five games last season, losing all of them. The Cowboys still have George Pickens on a one-year deal, but the team says it’s not working on a multi-year extension before the July 15 deadline, so it could be a shorter window for him in Dallas. 

The Eagles boast back-to-back division titles, and the Cowboys face a gauntlet of a schedule this season. Do they possess the firepower to make the postseason? That’s a tough question to answer now.

Rank
5
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Baltimore Ravens
2025 record: 8-9

The Ravens have been one of the more talked-about teams in recent years, and there’s little chance that is changing after John Harbaugh was fired and with QB Lamar Jackson coming off an injury-plagued season.

The assumption is that Baltimore will remain competitive with Jackson back and new head coach Jesse Minter taking over. Minter’s two-year run as Chargers defensive coordinator certainly paints him as a promising hire and a talented coach. The roster appears to be in good shape overall, and many expect the Ravens to be favorites in the AFC North again.

Minter’s specialty is defense, and his Year 1 task will be to improve an underachieving unit. The talent is there, and the addition of Trey Hendrickson could light a fire under the pass-rush group, but we’re still waiting for a clearer picture on the health of Nnamdi Madubuike. The secondary features four former first-round picks, but Baltimore allowed the third-most passing yards in the NFL last season and didn’t make enough plays on the ball.

The Ravens aren’t problem-free on offense, either. Jackson still has something to prove coming off an uneven season. Furthermore, he’s on his third offensive coordinator (30-year-old Declan Doyle) in five seasons, and it’s not clear who Jackson’s starting center will be after the Ravens lost Tyler Linderbaum. Derrick Henry will turn 33 in Week 17, and he’s had four straight 300-touch seasons. Two of Jackson’s top four receivers could be rookies, too. 

It will not be shocking if the Ravens rebound quickly under Minter, but there’s a lot of pressure — and plenty to sort out — for the first-year head coach.

Rank
6
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Philadelphia Eagles
2025 record: 11-6

Much like some other teams on this list, the Eagles often find themselves in the middle of things. There’s always something to talk about in Philly with this team, and this offseason has been no exception. The 2025 season was a topsy-turvy affair, never reaching the championship heights from a year before. Is there still a title-caliber group here? The answer is probably yes, with a schedule that appears pretty manageable, although a fierce NFC field could put a stop to that.

Nick Sirianni has won nearly 70 percent of his 85 regular-season games and has a Super Bowl ring to his name. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts was an MVP runner-up and a Super Bowl MVP. Yet both men continue to fight for respect. With wide receiver A.J. Brown now in New England, Sirianni and Hurts will be asked to prove themselves without one of their better playmakers in recent years.

If the Eagles can prove that moving on from Brown was addition by subtraction and Philadelphia’s defense maintains its relative excellence, even with some losses on that side of the ball, it could be a bounce-back season. Philly’s pattern has been uncanny the past five seasons: wild-card loser, Super Bowl runner-up, wild-card loser, Super Bowl winner, wild-card loser. The trend suggests the Eagles will be back closer to the top this season, and they have the pieces to make a run.

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Rank
7
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Cincinnati Bengals
2025 record: 6-11

It’s hard to believe that only four head coaches have been with their current teams longer than Zac Taylor has with the Bengals, and that includes Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, who was hired one month prior to Taylor in Cincinnati. After missing the postseason for three straight seasons and finishing 2025 with the team’s worst record since Taylor’s second season there, the coach absolutely will feel pressure to win — or else. 

It’s almost certain that Taylor’s chances of success are directly tied to the health of Joe Burrow. The QB missed more than half the 2025 season with turf toe, and it’s hardly the first time he’s been hurt. When Burrow is on and healthy, he’s as good as there is — with two of the best receivers in the game to throw to in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But without Burrow starting, the Bengals have gone 7-16 under Taylor.

Cincinnati also has major defensive issues to sort through. The Bengals were one of the worst tackling teams in recent memory last season, and they allowed 34-plus points six times, losing all six games. They significantly addressed the defensive front, and new safety Bryan Cook could be a steadying force on the back end. But the team made minimal additions at corner and linebacker, and coordinator Al Golden is facing a lot of pressure to make this a competent unit.

The Bengals play in a tough division, and they’ll open the coming season with three games against 2025 AFC playoff teams in the first four weeks, but the schedule is otherwise pretty friendly. If Burrow can stay healthy and the defense can make even incremental strides, the Bengals could be back in the postseason. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be shocking to see this team broken up in some way in 2027.

Rank
8
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New York Giants
2025 record: 4-13

The Giants are under the microscope for mostly intriguing reasons, although the backdrop of it all is that this is a franchise with eight losing seasons in the past nine campaigns. That’s a big reason why the team went so hard after John Harbaugh this offseason. His worst mark in the past decade (eight wins) would have been better than all but two Giants teams over the same span.

Jaxson Dart enters Year 2 with some excitement after some solid play as a rookie, and New York features a wealth of young talent overall. There’s some question about the short- and long-term health of Malik Nabers, which clouds the picture a bit, and though the recent return of Odell Beckham Jr. was a headline grabber, it’s anyone’s guess what he can add. This is still an offense that feels a piece or two short of being close to a complete unit.

Defensively, the Giants are far from tip-top, too, even after some strong play late last season. They’re still waiting to see the best versions of first-round picks Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter and are hoping that rookie Arvell Reese can slide right in at inside linebacker, a still relatively new position for him.

The Giants probably will have more eyeballs on them this season than they have in years. They open with back-to-back prime-time games and have four over the course of the season. If they can survive those and a tough schedule overall, the G-Men have some surprise-team elements that can’t be overlooked. But if not, the franchise’s losing streak could continue.

Rank
9
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New England Patriots
2025 record: 14-3

The Patriots have endured a challenging last four months, losing Super Bowl LX, with head coach Mike Vrabel then embroiled in an off-field controversy. Super Bowl losers have struggled more often than not the following season, and the Patriots will have plenty to prove after they sneaked through a faulty AFC field last season only to be blasted by the Seahawks in the final game.

The Patriots took advantage of a very thin regular-season schedule in 2025, and they probably won’t enjoy that same luxury again. New England opens with three of its first four games on the road, and it has tough travel in November and December, too. You can be sure that the Bills will be coming with everything they’ve got after ceding the division to the Patriots a year ago.

Drake Maye also puts the Pats under the microscope. He was a popular MVP candidate heading into the home stretch, and the third-year QB has all the makings of a star for years to come. But he also played poorly at times in the playoffs — likely hindered by a shoulder injury — and must prove he can perform well again.

There are offensive line concerns and pass-rush worries, but New England did finalize the trade for a No. 1 receiver in A.J. Brown. The Patriots are way ahead of schedule in their rebuild, and last year can’t be thrown out, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them fall back to earth this coming season. They’re back in the spotlight, but for how long?

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2026 NFL roster updates: Offseason signings, trades, contract details by team

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Which buzzy NFL teams should you believe in for 2026? Bears, Cowboys top our picks

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‘Star’ power: Cooper DeJean, Derwin James headline NFL’s top five players at an increasingly vital position

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Which NFL players have the most money at stake in 2026? Kyler Murray, Christian Watson could cash in

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12 NFL rookies who NEED to succeed in Year 1: Heat is on Carnell Tate, Jadarian Price, Antonio Williams

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Five hot QB battles ahead of 2026 NFL season: When will Fernando Mendoza start?

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Most underappreciated NFL players: Top candidate for each NFC team in 2026 season

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News roundup

NFL news roundup: Seahawks pass rusher Derick Hall agrees to three-year, $42 million extension
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Updated: Jun 02, 2026 at 07:39 PM
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Around the NFL Staff

NFL.com

NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com’s transaction hub for a daily breakdown.

• NOTE: Teams listed in alphabetical order
• READ: 2026 first-round pick signing tracker

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Atlanta Falcons

SIGNINGS

• WR Drake London agreed to a four-year, $141 million contract extension that includes $100 million guaranteed and can be worth up $150 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

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Buffalo Bills

ROSTER CUTS

• DB Daryl Porter was waived.

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Cincinnati Bengals

TRAINING CAMP NEWS

• The Bengals will host a joint practice with the Bears a couple days before the teams’ Week 2 preseason game, head coach Zac Taylor said.

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Cleveland Browns

RETIREMENTS

• LB Markees Watts was placed on the reserve/retired list.

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Denver Broncos

OTHER NEWS

• CB Patrick Surtain II agreed to a contract adjustment that gives him a $5 million raise and a chance to make $5 million more next season with a Pro Bowl or All-Pro honor, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

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Houston Texans

SIGNINGS

• OT Derrick Graham

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Indianapolis Colts

SIGNINGS

• G Jalen Farmer (Round 4, No. 113 overall) signed his rookie contract, the team announced.
• LB Bryce Boettcher (Round 4, No. 135 overall) signed his rookie contract, the team announced.

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Las Vegas Raiders

FRONT OFFICE NEWS

• Las Vegas announced changes to its player personnel staff, including the promotion of Ben Chester to director of pro scouting.

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Los Angeles Chargers

OTHER NEWS

• QB Justin Herbert was practicing with a water ball to work on footwork on Tuesday, which is being emphasized by new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

INJURIES

• OT Joe Alt, who missed 11 games last season, has been cleared from his November ankle injury and should be a full-go for training camp.
• OT Rashawn Slater, who missed the 2025 season, expects to be cleared from his knee injury within the next couple weeks.

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Los Angeles Rams

ROSTER CUTS

• DE Jalen Logan-Redding was waived.

JERSEY NUMBERS

• DE Myles Garrett, who was acquired from the Browns on Monday, will wear the No. 95 with NT Poona Ford switching to No. 97, the team announced.

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Miami Dolphins

SIGNINGS

• WR Chris Bell (Round 3, No. 94 overall)
• WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (Round 5, No. 177)
• WR Caleb Douglas (Round 3, No. 75)
• WR Jalen Reagor signed with Miami, the team announced.
• TE Will Kacmarek (Round 3, No. 87)
• G DJ Campbell (Round 6, No. 200)
• DE Max Llewellyn (Round 7, No. 238)
• OLB Trey Moore (Round 4, No. 130)
• ILB Kyle Louis (Round 4, No. 138)
• ILB Jacob Rodriguez (Round 2, No. 43)
• S Michael Taaffe (Round 5, No. 158)

ROSTER CUTS

• S/ILB Jordan Colbert was waived with a failed physical designation.

OTHER NEWS

• C Aaron Brewer is present for Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp after missing last week’s voluntary organized team activities, head coach Jeff Hafley told reporters. Hafley added that Brewer had a family obligation that the team knew about last week.

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New England Patriots

INJURIES

• TE Julian Hill (knee) will miss the 2026 season after suffering a knee injury in Monday’s practice, head coach Mike Vrabel announced Tuesday. Hill was placed on injured reserve Monday.

TRAINING CAMP NEWS

• The Patriots will hold joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts (Aug. 11) and the Philadelphia Eagles (Aug. 19-20) during training camp, per Vrabel.

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New York Giants

SIGNINGS

• WR JuJu Smith-Schuster’s signing was officially announced by the club.

ROSTER CUTS

• K Jason Sanders

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New York Jets

INJURIES

• LB Kobe King reverted to injured reserve from being waived/injured.

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Philadelphia Eagles

SIGNINGS

• RB Elijah Mitchell

ROSTER CUTS

• DE Brandon Graham was released in an expected move as a post-June 1 cut due to the language of his contract. Graham returned from a brief retirement last year and signed essentially a one-year deal, but he had a string of void years remaining and his post-June 1 release saves the Eagles $1.3 million on the cap.

INJURIES

• WR Makai Lemon was seen at Tuesday’s organized team activities with a sleeve on his right leg due to a hamstring injury, according to teammate Quinyon Mitchell, via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.

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Pittsburgh Steelers

SIGNINGS

• LB Nick Herbig agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
• S Darnell Savage signed a one-year contract, the team announced.

ROSTER CUTS

• DB Makari Paige was waived.

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San Francisco 49ers

SIGNINGS

• S Ashtyn Davis

ROSTER CUTS

• RB Jermar Jefferson was waived.

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Seattle Seahawks

SIGNINGS

• OLB Derick Hall has agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract extension that includes $21 million guaranteed, ESPN reported. Hall, who is now under contract through 2029, can earn up to $46.5 million with the new extension, per ESPN. Hall notched two sacks and a forced fumble in Seattle’s Super Bowl LX triumph this past February.

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Washington Commanders

SIGNINGS

• TE Anthony Firkser

ROSTER CUTS

• WR Ja’Corey Brooks

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Around the NFL

Browns GM Andrew Berry: Jared Verse was ‘huge part’ of return in Myles Garrett trade
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 12:28 PM
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Nick Shook

Around The NFL Writer

The dust is still settling on Monday’s seismic trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry is happily collecting the pieces strewn about by the explosive move.

“I didn’t expect to be up here talking about a Myles Garrett trade,” Berry said during a news conference on Tuesday. “This is not my favorite thing to do because, like I said, I didn’t have it on the bingo card and I realize how strong I’ve been with Myles. But the reality is when you have an opportunity to do something that has strong both short- and long-term benefits, we have to be flexible with it. We’re real excited from a team perspective.”

There’s legitimate reason for Berry’s excitement. As his front office continues to reconstruct a roster that has been eroded by the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal, Berry has long been pestered by lingering uncertainty regarding Garrett’s future. It became increasingly clear Cleveland’s timeline for contention would not line up with the 30-year-old Garrett’s, and although the Browns seemed to address his discontent via a four-year, $160 million extension signed in March 2025, the philosophical divide between superstar and front office never quite disappeared.

That likely would have remained true and Berry would have confidently maintained his entrenched position on Garrett — from which Berry flatly shut down speculation by stating “Myles is a career Brown” in late March — had the Rams not pestered Berry relentlessly over the last few months. Eventually, Los Angeles’ persistence prompted Rams GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay to throw in a very appealing trade chip: edge rusher Jared Verse.

Related Links

• Browns trade Myles Garrett to Rams for Jared Verse, first-round pick in blockbuster deal
• Myles Garrett trade winners and losers: Rams Super Bowl-ready? What can Jared Verse do with Browns?
• Bengals react to Browns’ Myles Garrett trade: ‘Good for us’

Verse’s addition changed the landscape for Berry, the Browns GM admitted Tuesday.

“One of the things that’s unique about this deal relative to maybe the other non-QB superstar deals that come out is we made a trade with players and picks,” Berry saidd. “Usually when you make these trades, you’re completely trading off present for future. To get a player like Jared in the deal, where the defense still maintains its excellence, that was really attractive to us.”

In Verse, the Browns are receiving more than a first-round selection with unknown potential. Although he’s only entering his third year, Verse is a proven commodity, one who would likely be chosen higher in a redraft of the 2024 class.

For starters, the numbers are strong. In 39 career games, Verse has logged 15 sacks, 137 tackles, five forced fumbles and two Pro Bowl nods. After finishing fourth in QB pressures in his first season with the Rams, Verse took home AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s tied for fifth in QB pressures (143) since 2024 and is also just one of five players with 40-plus QB hits and five-plus forced fumbles since 2024, a group that includes Garrett.

Berry’s Browns aren’t getting a Garrett clone back in the deal because that kind of duplicate doesn’t (and likely never will) exist. But in the history of such significant trades, it’s rare a team finds a comparable replacement who is younger, cost controlled and better fits the club’s long-term timeline.

“I always told myself that if we were ever in a position to trade Myles, three things would have to be true,” Berry said. “No. 1, it would have to have short- and long-term benefits. No. 2, as part of the trade, a young, cost-controlled star at a premium position would have to be included. And the third piece is it would have to be premium draft capital. And there’s a very small set of deals that really satisfy those constraints. So, when it got to the point with our negotiations with the Rams when all those things were satisfied, it really caused us to take a step back and really think about the decision.

“Jared Verse, he’s a huge part of this return for us. Jared is an outstanding football player. Former Defensive Rookie of the Year, two-time original ballot Pro Bowler and he’s a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He’s really a terror in both phases as a run defender and pass rusher. And we are really excited to add him to our team. He allows us to continue to play defense at a high level, which is our standard over the past several seasons and we are excited to welcome him to the organization. So, we’re excited about the transaction, and it wasn’t something that we anticipated coming into this year or spring or quite honestly coming out of the draft. But it’s a great opportunity for our team.”

Trading away a franchise icon and an all-time great is never easy, both internally and for the marketing department. But in the business of pro football, personnel executives often must choose between emotion and cold calculation. When a deal becomes too attractive to ignore and the timing is as good as it will ever be, general managers must take a big swing in order to maximize return.

“No regrets. In terms of why now, the why now is just quite honestly the opportunity was too great,” Berry said. “It wasn’t like a Plan A going into the offseason, quite honestly, we would have operated differently if it was. But sometimes things come across your path that you’re just, you’re not expecting and you can’t be so dogmatic in your strategy and planning that you can’t adjust and be flexible to great opportunities.”

In the aftermath of such a massive deal, instant reactions will often include speculation on the relationship between player and organization. Garrett never spoke with new coach Todd Monken — whom the Browns chose over beloved defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, prompting the latter to angrily resign — but wasn’t giving the team the cold shoulder, Berry said, describing Garrett as “a good communicator” who “we expect to retire as a Brown.”

Still, signs of a potential deal bubbled to the surface in the spring. Berry’s front office adjusted Garrett’s contract, shifting guarantees and bonus payment deadlines that signaled he might be available for the right price. It would still take a massive offer — one most likely propelled by a suitor’s heightened urgency — to initiate action, though.

After falling in heartbreaking fashion to the eventual Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, Los Angeles attacked the offseason with aggressive intent — and became the perfect suitor.

That aggression netted the Browns a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round choice, a 2029 third-round selection and an instant, high-ceiling replacement in Verse, a Dayton, Ohio native who will return to his home state with the spotlight trained on him.

As Berry said, the offer was too good to pass up. It placed the Browns on a long-term track they’ve laid with two strong draft classes, a new path that won’t include, but will forever appreciate Garrett.

“Myles will be a part of many of our lives beyond his playing career,” Berry said. “It’s maybe more of a ‘see you later’ than a ‘goodbye,’ to sound maybe a little bit corny.”

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Patriots HC Mike Vrabel on A.J. Brown trade: ‘Trying to improve our football team in every possible way’
Published: Jun 02, 2026 at 12:43 PM
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Eric Edholm

Lead Draft Writer

After months of speculation, A.J. Brown is finally a New England Patriot — and Mike Vrabel appears happy.

Brown and Vrabel worked together previously with the Tennessee Titans during the receiver’s first three seasons in the NFL. When Brown’s relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles broke down, Vrabel and the Patriots swooped in to consummate a trade on Monday. The Patriots sent a 2027 fifth-round draft pick and a 2028 first-rounder to Philadelphia for Brown.

Vrabel’s familiarity with Brown helped but that this was about improving the roster of last year’s Super Bowl runners-up.

“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 told reporters on Tuesday. “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 and a competitor and as a teammate.”

Vrabel noted Brown’s physical traits, as well as his passion for the game as strong positives.

“I think he loves football,” Vrabel said. “I think that he has a physical skill set. He’s got great body control. I think 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 or playing versus. bracketed coverages or zone coverages. Plays physically with the football and has been a productive and consistent player.”

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The 6-foot-1, 233-pound Brown, who turns 29 at the end of June, caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards (12.9-yard average) and seven touchdowns last season. It was Brown’s fourth straight 1,000-yard season and the sixth of his career, but he averaged nearly 20 fewer receiving yards per game last season than he had over his previous three years in Philadelphia. The Eagles moved on from Brown after a litany of off-the-field drama and rumored disconnect with star quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Vrabel was asked Tuesday about Brown’s apparent friction in Philadelphia prior to his exit and didn’t attempt to downplay the WR’s competitiveness.

“Whatever happens or comes up, I can’t say there’s not going to be things that come up with A.J., with any single player,” Vrabel said. “This is a competitive game. Highly competitive. Players want to win. Players want to do everything they can to help their team. They want to make sure that people are on the right page. I don’t get into a lot of that. I think that’s what’s most important is that those things don’t carry into the locker room.

“I don’t know what happened (in Philadelphia). I’m not trying to find out what happened in Philadelphia. I’m trying to focus on what’s going to happen here, and try to get him acclimated to what we do and how we do it.”

Brown spoke with NBC’s Maria Taylor after Monday’s trade and credited Vrabel’s tough-love approach with him as a rookie in 2019 for some of his early success.

“When I first got to Tennessee he was extremely tough on me, and I didn’t really understand what he was trying to do,” Brown said. “Obviously he was trying to push me to become the player I am today, but he was just so tough. I remember a conversation, I was talking to him, (saying) like, ‘You don’t have to humble me. I came from humble beginnings.’

“I just never understood. He stayed on me all the time.”

It took time, but Brown came to understand Vrabel’s mission: to get the very best out of him.

“He was holding me accountable,” Brown said, “and we grew close over the years.”

Now that relationship will be close again, with Brown joining the Patriots for his second run with Vrabel.

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