Patriots News 05-24, Late Brown Chatter; Real Or Leverage?
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Posted Under: 2026 Patriots Offseason
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Good morning, and a happy Sunday, and here is your Patriots news for 05-24, along with this week’s NFL notes. From all of us here, we hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend. Let’s all remember our troops who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy.
At this late date, several NFL pundits are suddenly suggesting that other teams are entering trade talks with the Philadelphia Eagles regarding A.J. Brown.
The Kansas City Chiefs are rumored to be back in the Brown trade market. Off-field and injury concerns with Rashee Rice are supposedly giving the Chiefs the impetus to re-enter talks with Philadelphia.
Rice hasn’t been the reliable WR that the Chiefs thought he was going to be. Injury concerns and off-field legal issues. Initially, the Chiefs were supposedly considering going after Brown, but decided against it for two reasons. One, they were concerned with Brown’s long-term knee prognosis. And, secondly, they didn’t want to spend a 1st-round pick.
But Rice’s latest transgression with the law (violating probation for testing for THC) could further push the Chiefs into re-entering the Brown talks.
Supposedly, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a trade destination in a trade for talented third-year WR Brian Thomas Jr. It makes no sense for Jacksonville, and they’ve been adamant that Thomas isn’t available.
Adam Schefter spoke on his podcast about Brown being traded, and he still believes it ends with Brown going to New England.
“Well, it now feels like the closer we get to June 1, the more A.J. Brown chatter is starting to pick up, and we’re starting to hear about other teams entering the mix,” Schefter said at the 10:10 mark.
“I was on a Philadelphia radio show this morning, and they brought up the idea that the Rams could be getting back in, and they brought up the idea that the Jaguars could be getting back in. All of a sudden, that’s interesting. I will remain in the camp that we’ve been in for the last six, seven weeks, which is that I still think he’s getting traded.
“I still think he’s getting traded on or shortly after June 1. I still think that the New England Patriots are going away, the lead contender to land AJ Brown this offseason. I don’t care what other teams come up in connection with AJ Brown trade talks between now and June 1. Don’t care about what other conversations there are. These other teams have had their opportunities throughout the offseason.
“There were conversations with the Rams that did not result in a deal. I don’t know about Jacksonville. I don’t even know where that’s coming from, but I still think that the New England Patriots make the most sense, and I still think that when all is said and done, as we’ve said, that the Patriots will wind up agreeing to a deal that will land AJ Brown in New England and reunite him with Mike Vrabel, as those two men move forward to me. That’s what I’m waiting to see have happen,” Schefter added.
One has to wonder if this latest talk is just that, talk to fill in the empty time slots before mandatory minicamps begin, or is it driven by the Eagles and Howie Roseman to drive up the price before the inevitable June 1st date.
Forged in Foxborough: The Patriots released the first episode of Season 2 of the reality show last Friday. It starts with the immediate aftermath of the Super Bowl loss to Seattle.
The show then shows the Scouting Department going down to the Senior Bowl, and comparing notes on players with the coaches and front office headed to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.
The episode then goes through the free-agent period with nice snippets of the new players: Kevin Byard, Romeo Doubs, Reggie Gilliam, Julian Hill, K.J. Britt, and Alijah Vera-Tucker.
The draft segment followed with some emotional moments with Caleb Lomu and Gabe Jacas. The team allowed Nancy Meier to make the call to fifth-round pick Karon Prounty, as the draft ended Meier’s 50 years with the team. She joined the Patriots when she was just 19-years-old and has since become an icon.
Hopefully, they’ll find a place for her inside the walls of the Hall. Another great job by the team’s video department, the next episode will already be must-watch t.v.
Bill Belichick: The Patriots’ former head coach is making the media rounds, doing a bit of image rehabbing on the talk show circuit. He did a podcast with Fox News’ Sean Hannity this week, where he talked about Tom Brady’s leaving the Patriots for Tampa Bay.
Brady was looking for a long-term deal, and the Patriots screwed him, handing him a two-year deal with an out for Brady after one year, which he did, leaving in 2020 for the Bucs, where…he won his seventh Super Bowl.
Belichick now says Brady was absolutely right in doing so. “Tom leaving was absolutely the right thing for him to do,” Belichick said on Hang Out with Sean Hannity.
“We didn’t have a good team in 2020. We just didn’t have a good football team. We had all those guys that left – Gronkowski and [Julian] Edelman (actually Edelman did play in 2020, but only for six games and was a shadow of his former self, due to a knee injury).
“Most of our team was gone. [Devin] McCourty and a few others were still there, but they were about to go too. We were just at the end.
“I was happy for him that things worked out well for him in Tampa, because he was with a team,” Belichick added. “It wouldn’t have gone well in 2020 in New England. On this, I can guarantee you that.”
A big part of the reason the Patriots were “just at the end” was some terrible drafts that snowballed on the team.
“I wish we could have done more, but we went as far as we could,” Belichick said. “And look, he proved it – he played longer than anybody, played at a higher level than anybody. And again, tremendous credit to him. Nobody else did that – that was him.” BTW, Brady gave quite a graduation speech at Georgetown University this week.
Kayshon Boutte: The Patriots’ underrated WR has not been at voluntary OTAs, deciding to work out on his own thus far this spring. But he was a guest speaker about sports gambling and his struggles with it.
And once again, if the Patriots do land A.J. Brown, Boutte will be the odd man out. And he’s been very productive when called upon, which hasn’t been nearly enough.
Boutte was the subject of trade rumors all last spring/summer. But when Week 1 rolled around, he was targeted eight times (a season high) with six catches for 103 yards against the Raiders.
On the season, Boutte was only targeted 46 times but made 33 catches for 561 yards (16.7-yard average) with six touchdowns. His targets were down from 2024, as were his catches and yards, simply because they weren’t throwing him the ball.
But with Stefon Diggs gone, the team signed Romeo Doubs. And if Brown comes on board, Boutte’s opportunities will be even fewer. I, for one, don’t want to see him leave, but it seems the handwriting is already on the wall.
The rumors are that he’d fetch only a fifth or sixth-round pick in compensation. For a team that has had a terrible track record at developing wide receivers, it seems like they’re missing the boat with putting this guy adrift.
Janarius Robinson: The Patriots had the former 4th-round pick in for a workout this past week. The big, 6’5, 263-pound defensive end was signed by the Chiefs last year but broke his foot in the first preseason game and missed the entire season.
He’s had injury issues since he was drafted by the Vikings. He played 16 games with the Raiders in 2024, recording 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a backup. When he came out of the draft, he posted a 9.31 RAS score, with a very respectable 4.69 in the 40, moving well for a man his size.
He’d project as a camp body, but if he was signed, he’d at least have a chance to make the roster.
Travis Shaw: The Patriots announced that they have signed DT Travis Shaw as a rookie free agent from Texas, and in a corresponding move, released LS Niko Lalos.
Shaw, 21, spent three college seasons at North Carolina (2022-24) before transferring to Texas for the 2025 season. The 6-foot-5, 334-pounder has played in 50 games with one start during his college career and finished with 68 total tackles and 2 fumble recoveries.
Last season at Texas, Shaw played in 13 games, including one start, and finished with 13 total tackles.
Shaw isn’t a pass rusher, but could factor in as a spacing-eating, run-stuffing nose tackle. With Khyiris Tonga leaving in free agency, the Patriots don’t have that kind of big body on the team.
The Patriots are hoping that his lack of production and playing time in college isn’t a harbinger of what his pro career could be. But Shaw faces an uphill climb to make the roster.
Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Derek, Mike, and I recorded an episode this week about the wide receiver depth. We’ll be back this week with talk of OTAs on the PatsFans.com website. You can always check out our other podcasts on our YouTube channel.
Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review.
Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position.
We will continue to display this in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.
Despite all of the talk surrounding the potential trade with Philadelphia for WR A.J. Brown, the biggest jump the Patriots’ offense needs in 2026 is from the offensive line.
The lasting impression of the Patriots’ 2025 postseason run was the offensive line’s frequent inability to withstand opponents’ pass rushes. The team allowed 21 sacks in four games, with the Seahawks just manhandling the Patriots in the Super Bowl while garnering six of those sacks.
The left side of the OL struggled, with LG Jared Wilson and LT Will Campbell frequently victimized by their playoff opponents. But in fairness, Campbell was coming off a knee injury as the playoffs began and was clearly not 100 percent.
In the NFL Draft last month, the team used its top pick (28th overall) to select tackle Caleb Lomu, the heir apparent to RT Morgan Moses, who is 35 this season. They added a 6th-round tackle, Dametrious Crownover, for depth purposes, and as a possible extra tight end in goalline situations. Lomu should be the swing tackle in 2026.
In free agency, the team added the oft-injured, but talented Alijah Vera-Tucker at left guard, and moved Wilson to his natural position at center after trading veteran Garrett Bradbury to the Bears for a 2027 5th round pick.
Campbell should be fully healthy, and he and Wilson should also be stronger after spending a year in the strength and conditioning program. The starting five, barring injuries, should be Campbell, Vera-Tucker, Wilson, Onwenu, and Moses.
Two other additions should also help the offensive line this season, especially in the running game. Julian Hill was signed as a free agent from the Dolphins to a three-year deal worth $15 million. He’s reportedly improved greatly as a blocker, something the team needs, with untapped potential as a receiver.
Fullback Reggie Gilliam was signed as a free agent from Buffalo. He signed a three-year, $12 million deal, which was a very good signing for the team. He was a big factor in the Bills’ success in the running game.
He is a huge upgrade and was ranked 10th among non-offensive linemen in run-blocking grade. He adds the ability to be a factor in the passing game, something he mentioned is somewhat untapped for him.
The additions should really help the Patriots find a consistent running game in 2026, something that hampered them, especially in the red zone, in 2025. On paper, the offensive line should be much improved, but they have yet to take the field for any meaningful snaps.
There are just 108 days until they take the field against Seattle, and that should be their entire focus this spring and summer.
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“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike Vrabel
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