Pats Pulpit
A.J. Brown is officially a Patriot as the team has also now wrapped up OTAs. Next on the calendar: mandatory minicamp on June 9-11 before the team breaks until training camp later this summer.
So, let’s get into this week’s #PostPulpit Mailbag.
Many analysts have focused a lot on Brown’s degenerative knee condition. There seems to be an implied link between that and his less explosive year last year. Less analyzed are the impact of his hamstring issues on his ability to be explosive last year. How do you parse the impact of these two physical issues on what was clearly a less explosive player last year? – MK9
Brown is coming off a season in which he posted career lows in both yards per route run (1.96) and yards after catch per reception (3.3). The latter number improved slightly during the second half of the season after he returned from a hamstring injury that lingered early in the year. There is also an argument to be made that the decline was influenced by Brown’s usage and effort level as frustration mounted throughout the season.
Last season, Brown saw plenty of press coverage as he set a career high with 87.6% of his routes coming from the outside. Meanwhile, 47.7% of his targets came on either hitch routes or go routes. Neither route is designed to generate significant production after the catch.
That should change in New England with Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels. Brown will still be a premier outside receiver capable of beating man coverage and winning down the field, but McDaniels is expected to move him around the formation — including into the slot — to create favorable matchups. And unlike Philadelphia, a Maye-led offense will target the middle of the field more frequently and feature a heavier play-action element, two areas where Brown’s usage has declined in recent years.
In the end, there is risk that Brown is declining because of his degenerative knee condition and general wear and tear. But a more bought-in Brown, running more routes from the slot and over the middle of the field, could see a resurgence in production — similar to the jump he experienced from his final season in Tennessee to his first year in Philadelphia, when his yards after catch per reception increased from 3.6 to 6.1 — and potentially age more gracefully as a result.
After adding AJ Brown, what does the teams cap space look like going forward? Do they have enough space to restructure his contract, extend Christian Gonzalez and then extend Maye? – Mayepower
Cap space is not an issue for the Patriots. They currently have just under $36 million available, which gives them plenty of room to operate. The bigger consideration, as always, is cash spending.
For the second straight offseason, New England has been among the league leaders in cash expenditures and then added Brown to the mix. While that likely won’t impact any potential restructuring of Brown’s contract, it could...
