It's no secret that things did not go smoothly between Trent Brown and the New England Patriots during the end of the offensive tackle's tenure in Foxborough.
And he wasn't afraid to speak out a bit about his frustrations during last season. So when Brown signed a 1-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, he threw shade at his former team during his introductory press conference.
Offensive lineman Ted Karras, who also formally played with the Patriots, was in the building when Brown arrived. So one reporter asked if the two had a chance to speak, and if that influenced Brown's decision.
“He said he loved it here," Brown explained. "He said that, ‘Bro, this is a great organization. It’s like a family over here.’'
And with that, he also noticed a huge difference in the atmosphere in Cincinnati versus what he was used to with the Patriots.
"I walked in the building this morning and he was in the hot tub getting ready to work out. So that even added to it, him being here on March 19 and the offseason program doesn’t start for another month almost. That was a huge thing right there in itself, just being from where we came from," Brown said. "When people get out of there for a release any chance we had.”
He was clearly inferring that Patriots players didn't want to spend any more time in the facility than they had to. But in Cincinnati, Karras and other players wante to be near the team.
And with the Bengals, he also sees an opportunity to return to his Pro Bowl days. So why does he think the Bengals are the place for him to do that.
“Really I feel like I’ll be worried less and just worry about playing football. I won’t have to worry about any off the field things and I’ll be able to just enjoy coming to work on a day to day basis, he said. "And that was important as well when we talk about fit."
Is he talking about off the field issues with the Patriots? Because this might be another dig.
But all in all, Brown is happy with the Bengals. And he is getting the fresh start he wanted. However, don't count on any future reunion with the Patriots. That door is clearly closed.
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