A.J. Brown makes promise to Patriots regarding first season

The perception exists that at least some people within the Philadelphia Eagles viewed the team trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots as an addition-by-subtraction transaction for the NFC East club. 

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Forged In Foxborough" podcast, Brown shared somewhat of a promise regarding what he will offer the Patriots during his first season with the organization. 

A.J. Brown ready to serve Patriots teammates in "anyway possible"

"What I wanna bring to this receiver room is a vet who comes in to serve," Brown said, per Lauren Campbell of MassLive. "I’m here to serve the guys anyway possible, to push the guys to reach their max potential. But, as far as the team, just gonna work hard, show up every day and let the chips fall where they may." 

ESPN stats show that Brown led the Eagles last season with 78 receptions and 121 targets. He was also second on the team with both 1,003 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. 

With the Patriots, Brown is expected to serve as the top red-zone target for a team that, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic, "ranked 24th in scoring percentage inside the 20 and 17th in touchdown percentage" last season. That's all well and good, but Brown developed quite a reputation over the past couple of campaigns for making it known whenever he was unhappy with his role in the Philadelphia offense and with the number of passes thrown his way during any given game. 

In short, one couldn't be blamed for thinking that Brown will eventually have some unkind words for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye either during or after a contest. 

A.J. Brown focusing on what he can "control" ahead of training camp

"You can’t control the outcomes," Brown continued. "I’m not trying to control them. Coming to agreement with that because so much is out of our control during the football game. The only thing that we can control is how we show up each and every day, and our hard work."

Brown and other veteran Patriots players are due to report for training camp July 24. One would think that Brown won't play in a game until the Patriots open the regular season with a Super Bowl rematch at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9.