The New England Patriots spent the offseason looking for a receiving combination that could grow with Drake Maye.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes they may have found one worthy of a comparison to the most productive tandem in franchise history.
Reiss wrote in ESPN’s AFC East preview that the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs “might be their best one-two combination since Randy Moss and Wes Welker in 2007.”
Reiss did not predict Brown and Doubs would duplicate the 2007 numbers.
But he argued that New England finally has two established outside receivers capable of changing how defenses approach Maye.
The bar remains enormous.
Brown and Doubs Give Maye a Completely Different Offense
Brown arrives as the unquestioned lead target after the Patriots sent the Philadelphia Eagles a 2028 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 fifth-rounder.
He finished 2025 with 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, extending his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to four.
His contract reflects that status.
Over the Cap lists Brown with a $29 million cash payout in 2026 and a contract carrying a $32 million average annual value.
New England acquired him to replace, and perhaps supercede, Stefon Diggs‘ production by tilting coverage in his direction and giving Maye a target who can win against No. 1 cornerbacks.
Doubs gives the comparison some substance.
He established career highs with 55 receptions and 724 receiving yards for the Green Bay Packers last season, averaged 13.2 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns.
The Patriots then signed him to a four-year, $68 million contract with $39 million guaranteed.
Doubs and Welker, though, are different players.
Welker lived in the slot and overwhelmed defenses with volume, option routes and yards after the catch. Doubs is a bigger outside receiver who can work downfield and in the red zone.
The larger point is that Maye no longer has to depend on one receiver carrying the passing game.
Brown can command extra attention, while Doubs can punish a defense for shifting help in Brown’s direction.
The rest of the group can settle into more appropriate roles.
Moss-Welker Standard Shows How High the Ceiling Still Is
Moss and Welker got to work immediately in their first season in New England.
Moss caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 touchdowns in 2007. Welker added 112 receptions for 1,175 yards and eight scores.
Together, they produced 210 catches, 2,668 yards and 31 touchdowns while helping New England complete the league’s first 16-0 regular season.
Brown and Doubs combined for 133 receptions, 1,727 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Those totals came in different offenses, but they show how far any modern Patriots pairing must travel to approach the 2007 standard.
New England likely doesn’t need anything close to that level to compete for a Super Bowl.
The Patriots finished first in offensive EPA per play last season at 0.13, according to SumerSports.
Maye threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes.
So, Brown and Doubs are joining an effective offense that reached the Super Bowl before either receiver entered the building.
The comparison should be whether Brown and Doubs can remove the remaining limitations from an offense that was already among the NFL’s best.
Undoubtedly, the 2007 duo remains in another category.
Patriots’ A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs Compared to Record-Setting Legends