Patriots' Mike Vrabel adds more fuel to A.J. Brown trade rumors

The New England Patriots faced harsh criticism for their somewhat easier schedule last season.

Now, fresh off a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl, Mike Vrabel's team will look to prove that last year's success wasn't a fluke. That's why they're keeping an eye out for A.J. Brown and his potential availability.

The Philadelphia Eagles' star wide receiver has been tied to a move to the Patriots for the past couple of months. When asked about that, head coach Mike Vrabel didn't do much to appease those rumors.

The Patriots will look to add more weapons, says Mike Vrabel

“We want to continue to improve the roster every opportunity that we get,” Vrabel said at OTAs. “And when those opportunities arise, I don’t know.”

Vrabel has a close relationship with Brown, dating back to their time together with the Tennessee Titans. However, he also acknowledged that Romeo Doubs' addition gave the team more to work with than what it had last season. So, even if the Patriots don't trade for Brown, he's confident about their current set of weapons.

“So, again, we’re going to look to strengthen the roster wherever we can. But it was also a great day to see guys who maybe didn’t get as many opportunities last year, especially Romeo, who wasn’t on our team,” added Vrabel.

The Eagles must wait until June 1 to trade Brown. Otherwise, they'd have to deal with a massive dead cap hit. They drafted Makai Lemon, traded for Dontayvion Wicks and signed Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. As much as they may want to keep Brown around, it looks like they've already braced themselves to lose him.