Patriots' Mike Vrabel hints how he'd feel about coaching Eagles' A.J. Brown again

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has been the subject of trade rumors ever since he first suggested during the 2024 season that he has often felt frustrated over his role in the Philadelphia offense. 

More recently, reporters and analysts have routinely linked Brown with the New England Patriots. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel touched upon how he would handle dealing with a receiver who may want the ball early and often during games. 

Mike Vrabel knows ego can be a good thing in certain instances

"We all understand in professional sports, players that are talented and get to this level have some sort of ego to them. There’s a balance," Vrabel said, per Mark Daniels of MassLive. "They have to have that edge. I think as a coaching staff, and whatever that is, you have to balance that edge to make sure that that’s helping the team. Everybody wants to excel. What receiver doesn’t want to catch the ball, and what pass-rusher doesn’t want to sack the quarterback? What DB doesn’t want to intercept the ball? Running backs want to score touchdowns. That’s how this league goes. There’s a balance between their own personal success and their mindset, and how they can help the team."

Earlier in the week, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel/de facto general manager Eliot Wolf didn't deny that his club could look to acquire a top-tier wide receiver before training-camp practices get underway in July. Meanwhile, Vrabel has experience serving as Brown's head coach from when the two were with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 through the 2021 season. 

"I love the relationship I have with players on our team and the ones on other teams that I’ve either coached or come in contact with," Vrabel said on Tuesday. "That’s the beauty of this league in having played it and being able to coach it...I have communications with a lot of those players."

Does Mike Vrabel want Patriots to match the Eagles' asking price for A.J. Brown? 

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman may hold onto Brown until at least June 1 for reasons related to the salary cap. Brown signed a three-year contract extension in April 2024, and Roseman reportedly wants a first-round draft pick and a second-round choice in return for the 28-year-old. 

"The compensation is compensation," Vrabel said about a potential trade for a proven commodity. "...I’ve never really looked at it as this year, next year, how good the draft is in three years. Just try to come to an agreement. If you make a trade, you just want to try to come to an agreement that both teams feel like they’re getting something, that they, that everybody’s happy."

Vrabel can only say so much about a player under contract with a different club. That said, it sounds like reuniting with Brown this spring or summer would make Vrabel quite happy.