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.
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.
"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.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots OTAs Notebook: A.J. Brown Makes New England Debut .
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 12:11 PM.