FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Add defensive tackle Milton Williams to the running list of those who believe A.J. Brown would be an ideal fit for the Patriots.
Following New England’s first OTA session open to the media on Wednesday afternoon, the star defensive tackle was asked about the Patriots potentially trading Brown amid continuous rumors of his ouster from the Eagles. Williams—who was teammates with Brown for four seasons in Philadelphia—gave a glowing review of the three-time Pro Bowler.
"Great dude,“ said Williams. “Monster on the field. Great in the locker room, holding guys accountable and holding himself accountable. I feel like that's everything you want in a player of his caliber.” He also called Brown a “hell of a player,” while admitting that the team doesn't pay him to make personnel decisions.
#Patriots DT Milton Williams on former teammate A.J. Brown:
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) May 27, 2026
"Great dude. Monster on the field. Great in the locker room. Holding guys accountable and holding himself accountable. I feel like that's everything you want in a player of his caliber."
-@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/QIRuuh90j1
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, too, was asked about the potential addition of Brown, but decided to brush off the rumors while praising the wide receivers currently on New England's roster.
“I think that’s part of the NFL,” the 2025 MVP runner-up said. “They throw names around every team depending [on] whoever looks best in the graphic and the jersey on social media. I’m really just focused—we’ve got some new guys here that I’m working with and I know that there’s a lot of talk with that. If he ends up being on our team, great. What a great player. And if he doesn’t, we’ve still got to work with these guys here. So it’s a tough balance, but I know he’s a phenomenal player.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel relayed a similar sentiment on Brown prior to Wednesday’s practice, saying that the team wants to, “continue to improve the roster at every opportunity that [they] get,” but that he knows the players they currently have in the room “are working extremely hard.”
“I felt like yesterday was really positive,” he continued. “It was good to see Romeo [Doubs] out there—it was good to see some of the new faces, some of the young guys.”
A.J. Brown, Patriots trade remains on track for June 1
The Patriots continue to be the likely destination for Brown in a trade, with a deal still “tracking” for on or after June 1. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer added this week that, “the Chiefs, Chargers, Bills and Rams all had their shot at this already,” but didn't pull the trigger. “I think the final result will be what everyone’s treating as a fait accompli, and that’s Brown reuniting with Mike Vrabel in New England.”
The reason both sides are waiting for June 1 is strictly contract-related, as the Eagles would then be able to spread Brown’s impending dead-cap hit over the 2026 and ‘27 seasons instead of absorbing it all this year.
As things currently stand, the compensation heading back to the Eagles for Brown is expected to center around a 2028 first-round pick. Whether a team tries to come in and beat the Patriots on that, of course, is a different story.
