New England Patriots
“You still have to make you have the safety overtop of AJ which obviously opens up things for a lot of other players.”
AJ Brown AP Photo/Matt Slocum
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FOXBOROUGH — Although Kevin Byard is new to Foxborough, he’s found plenty of familiar faces from his time with the Tennessee Titans.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr, and safeties coach Scott Booker were all in Tennessee years ago.
There are rumors that the Patriots are interested in trading for another former Titan, Eagles receiver AJ Brown.
On Tuesday, Byard told reporters that he hasn’t spoken with Brown about a potential reunion, but he also added that he would welcome it if it happened.
“Honestly, I try to stay out of that part of the business,” Byard said. “When you talk about contracts or players moving teams and things like that I want to be as hands off as possible. We train together in Tenessee, so it’s not like I haven’t [been like] ‘hey AJ,’ you know what I mean?”
“But, no, we haven’t talked about it directly. I don’t know what the situation is there. I hope it can work out, I hope he can come and play for us. but that remains to be seen. I’m just trying to get to know the guys that we have here from [Romeo Doubs] to Pop [Douglas and all these guys that we have here.”
Byard called Brown an “incredible talent” while praising his skill-set as that of a true No. 1 receiver.
The three-time first-team All-Pro safety has firsthand experience covering Brown in practice during previous years.
“He was unstoppable,” Byard said. “Obviously AJ is very talented still, but this was young AJ with a lot to prove. He couldn’t be covered in one-on-ones. I remember, I think, his rookie year when AJ first came.
“He might have had a [hamstring injury] or something like that and he was getting himself back into shape, but I remember the first game he really popped out was against the Falcons in Atlanta and he scored two touchdowns.”
“I can recall he caught a slant and took it to the house. At that point, I was like yeah he’s going to be a dog. He’s going to be a really good player and he just took off from there.”
Brown has topped 1,000 yards in six of his first seven NFL seasons. Last season, Stefon Diggs became the first Patriots receiver to reach 1,000 yards since 2019. The Patriots have since parted ways with Diggs and traded for Doubs. Diggs is currently a free agent.
Getting consistent production from a No. 1 receiver can change the way defenses game-plan for offenses, Byard said.
“A No. 1 receiver dictates coverage … when you game-plan against those guys you still have to make you have the safety overtop of AJ which obviously opens up things for a lot of other players. So, just imagine if it’s AJ or any guy [like] Justin Jefferson.
“Every coverage and every play starts with knowing where 18 is and make sure you’ve almost got someone in his face and somebody over the top.”
Last season’s total of 1,003 yards was the second-lowest of Brown’s career, but that ability to draw attention from defenders can still be a game-changer, Byard said.
“You may see that a guy’s stats may not be as great as they were earlier in his career,” Byard said. “But, dictating that coverage is a big thing with receiver ones because if you have a really good receiver one or receiver three, you can win a lot of one on ones.”
True No. 1 receivers have been hard to find for the Patriots in recent years.
Hunter Henry has been the Patriot with the most targets during Drake Maye’s first two seasons with 184.
Diggs led the team in targets last season. Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, and DeMario Douglas were all productive in their roles last season, but there is still room for a No. 1 receiver even with Doubs in the picture.
Diggs was the only Patriots receiver with more than 550 yards last season. He had more catches (85) than the next two receivers (Hollins and Boutte) combined.
With Diggs’s departure, there are targets and catches up for grabs for New England’s receivers. Whether or not Brown will be in that mix remains to be seen.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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