Patriots' Mike Vrabel Kicks Door Wide Open For Blockbuster A.J. Brown Trade

Patriots' Mike Vrabel Kicks Door Wide Open For Blockbuster A.J. Brown Trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots could use another weapon on offense, and A.J. Brown is a name that has been thrown around in trade rumors.

Brown's name being linked to the Patriots has more to it than the Patriots simply needing more help for Drake Maye. He played for Mike Vrabel for years with the Tennessee Titans, grew up a Patriots fan and has teased joining the Patriots multiple times in the past, as recently as last week, even.

The Philadelphia Eagles are seemingly not committing to him being on their team when the season starts, and as the NFL Draft and free agency near, trade rumors are running wild. Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni's comments on Tuesday, paired with Vrabel speaking at length about the strong relationship he has with Brown on Wednesday, have grown A.J. Brown trade rumors.

In a session with local media, Vrabel was asked directly about a trade for A.J. Brown, and he made it very clear that it was a possibility and that the Patriots were not ruling it out. He even noted that conversations like that could take place this week in Indianapolis during the combine.

"I think that we'll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster," Vrabel said on Wednesday. "There's a lot of things that go into trades. There's a lot of back and forth and taking on compensation. And so I'm sure there'll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades this week and as we get closer to the draft.”

Obviously, Vrabel is not going to say, "Yes, we are trying to trade for A.J. Brown." However, he could have shut down the rumor. Instead, he noted that the Patriots will explore all opportunities when asked about Brown specifically.

There may be nothing to read into, but Brown's current contract situation and reported frustration with the Eagles make him a strong candidate to be traded. The Patriots have the money to take on his deal, and their coach has a strong relationship with him.