Patriots OTAs Notebook: A.J. Brown Makes New England Debut

FOXBORO --- The New England Patriots are back in the national headlines when it comes to who they've brought onto the roster. After trading for A.J. Brown less than 24 hours ago, the team took the field for their second open OTA practice of the season.

Just like the first one a week prior, it was a slow-tempo session with no pads and no hitting. There was plenty of passing all day, with some run drills worked in. But more of the reporters in attendance were dialed in on the Patriots' new wide receiver.

Here's what stood out from the practice fields earlier today, including a new name entered into the starting offensive line.

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) does a drill with tight end Jack Westover (37) during the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Attendance

The practice is optional, so don't get all upset when you see a longer list of absent players this time. A few names that weren't at last week's 90-minute practice -- wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Dixon, edge rushers Gabe Jacas and Harold Landry, and cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis -- weren't here.

Some new names were also added to the list, including second-year edge rusher Bradyn Swinson, linebacker KJ Britt and cornerback Marcus Jones. Cornerback Charles Woods was a late arrival, but eventually showed up without a helmet. Offensive tackle Morgan Moses left practice early and did not return.

Passing Stats

It was a heavy dose of passing today. As expected, Drake Maye took the brunt of that load and was on the field for most of the afternoon. He ended the day going 17-for-22, connecting with DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams on a number of heavy hitters. One of his passes was broken up by safety Mike Brown (intended for Douglas), and another by Kobee Minor.

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass during the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The backups had a mixed bag of reps. QB2 Tommy DeVito got plenty of time with the second-string unit, going 9/15. Two of those incompletions were drops from running back TreVeyon Henderson and tight end CJ Dippre. Third-string rookie Behren Morton worked on handoffs, but didn't get under center for a passing rep in 11-on-11s.

AJ Brown Doesn't Play Much

For all the hoopla that surrounded Brown's arrival to New England, it didn't really result in much on the field. He worked through positional drills, including a side session with Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry, but didn't play many snaps in team drills.

Easy to spot because of his bright pink cleats, Brown played just four snaps in 11-on-11s. The first one, he was lined up outside and caught a 6-yard comebacker from Maye. The three other snaps, all of them lining up outside the numbers, he didn't see a target come his way.

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) makes a catch during the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Brown spoke after practice about earning his keep on the roster, despite his larger-than-life stature in the NFL already. He wasn't the first one to go during stretching lines, and stayed near the back of the line when it came to wide receiver drills.

That will change as he becomes more comfortable with the offense, but there wasn't much to write home about for Brown's debut in New England.

🧤 pic.twitter.com/JMLgQ6bPEb
— Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) June 2, 2026

Starting Offensive Line Continues To Be Re-Tooled

Last week, it was Andrew Rupcich who worked as the starting left guard. Today, it was Ben Brown -- who will likely be the team's top interior backup this season. Rupcich, who continues to impress during the spring practices, was the center for the second-string offense.

This comes after Alijah Vera-Tucker remains limited in these practices. He stretched with the team, but didn't play during team drills.

Slot WRs Shine Once Again

DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III led the team with four catches each. It was a big day for both slot receivers, most likely competing for the same job. Douglas -- who had four grabs in the first OTA practice -- looked good on crossing routes, one of them would have gone for a long touchdown.

"They Said It"

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel holds a press conference before the start of practices at the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"I think the contract is the business and the professional side of this. The personal side, I don't want to let anything interfere with that. I want Christian to be ready when he comes back. I would imagine that he would be here next week. If he is, then we'll coach him, be ready to move on, and get him ready to help us and help himself.

"Contracts are part of professional sports, I understand that. But I also know that those should remain private. Like any contract negotiation, you want to make sure that everybody feels like they get something out of it, and I'll leave it at that." -- Mike Vrabel on Christian Gonzalez, who appears to be holding out from OTAs as he hopes to get a new mega-contract extension.

What's Next?

After originally having more OTA practices next week, and mandatory minicamp the week after that, that plan has since changed. The three-day mandatory minicamp, which could be the first time reporters get to see Christian Gonzalez and Kayshon Boutte this spring, will now be on June 9-11.

Vrabel also announced that the team will host the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11 for a joint practice before welcoming in the Philadelphia Eagles for two days of joint practices on Aug. 19 and 20.

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