RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Over the previous four seasons, the Eagles were A.J. Brown's friend. On Wednesday, as Brown's New England Patriots hosted Philadelphia for the first of two joint practices, they were his foe.
Brown squared off against his former team for the first time since the blockbuster trade that sent him to Foxborough in June. While this wasn't a game setting, the veteran receiver certainly appeared to put some extra emphasis on the session.
Out of the gate, Brown nearly sent the droves of fans watching from the practice-field stands in the shadow of Gillette Stadium into a frenzy. After the Patriots and Eagles finished their warmups and came together for 1-on-1s, Brown immediately lined up against former teammate and first-team All-Pro corner Quinyon Mitchell .
Brown got a step on Mitchell down the left sideline, and Drake Maye uncorked a perfectly placed ball into Brown's breadbasket for what would've been a touchdown. The fans were ready to explode, but Brown could only get his left hand on the ball, and the pass fell incomplete.
"Q got away with a little holding," Brown said after practice with a laugh. "I won, and he pulled himself back into the play, and I just have to finish the play. My right hand didn't get to the ball quick enough. My left hand got on the ball, and that's on me. Attention to detail, catching the ball high, not letting it get low. It's those little things.
"It's never about who I'm going against; it's the little things. That could have been a 40-yard bomb, but now it's a long foul ball, right? Those are the things I'm focusing on."
AJ Brown vs Quinyon Mitchell to start 1-on-1s pic.twitter.com/FFVgJtRVzC
Whether it was a Mitchell hold or a Brown drop, it was the star receiver's lone blip on a thunderous day.
The dropped touchdown against Mitchell during 1-on-1s was Brown's lone rep in that period, but he was extremely active in team drills. By my count, he caught all seven of his targets on the afternoon, whether during 11-on-11s or 7-on-7s.
Maye peppered Brown during the 7-on-7 period as the session began to ramp up. He caught all three of his targets during that portion of practice, including the final reception, when he beat Mitchell in coverage. After the catch, Brown spun the ball on the turf in celebration.
Things only escalated from there as Brown continued to dazzle when practice moved to 11-on-11s. After catching his first target, he made arguably the highlight play of the day. Lining up on the right side, Brown ran down the sideline as Maye, under pressure, lofted the ball up for him.
The 6-foot-1, 226-pound receiver leapt into the air with Eagles corner Riq Woolen in coverage, turned his body back toward the line of scrimmage and hauled in the pass while somehow keeping his feet in bounds.
"[Maye] gave me a good ball," Brown said of the catch. "It was a quicker throw, and I just know I had to win at the line of scrimmage, and I was going against Tariq. I know he's very fast, and I know he was coming, so I just had to hold my line of scrimmage and just keep going vertical and fade at the last second."
On top of the highlight-reel plays, Brown seems fully immersed in the Patriots offense at this stage of the summer. He didn't stay strapped to one side of the field and appears poised to be a big chess piece in Josh McDaniels' formations.
"I'm ready to go," he said when asked about his knowledge of the Patriots offense. "100%."
As much as Brown's on-field showing will be the headline, it was just as interesting to watch him on the sideline, specifically how he interacted with his former teammates. Toward the tail end of practice, as the two rosters came together on the sideline between the two practice fields, Brown chatted with former Eagles teammates as the special teams units went through drills.
The players I saw him conversing with included offensive tackle Jordan Mailata , center Cam Jurgens and running back Saquon Barkley , among others.
From my view in the media portion of the field, it seemed like a jovial reunion for the group.
Have you spoken to Jalen Hurts since the trade? A.J. Brown: “No.” The Patriots WR added that “it’s love” and “there’s love my way.” pic.twitter.com/11QuwQKAjL
At the same time Brown was talking to that contingent of ex-teammates, it was hard not to notice Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts still on the other practice field going through throwing reps. At one point, he was the lone player from either franchise still on that side of the field.
Sure, the quarterback needs to get his throws in, but it would've been an interesting time for Hurts and Brown, who reportedly had a strained relationship toward the end of the receiver's tenure in Philly, to reconnect. That reunion apparently never happened.
"None of that stuff even matters, man," Brown added. "You all should want to report something positive. You know what asking the question is going to turn into, so let's not get into that and let's keep everything positive. There's love my way, and just move forward."
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