The New England Patriots didn’t trade a future first-round pick for A.J. Brown to make him just another piece in the passing game.
Julian Edelman believes Josh McDaniels’ history suggests the veteran receiver could become a well-fed receiver right off the bat.
Edelman joined Colin Cowherd on “The Herd” on Sept. 8, with the discussion turning to how McDaniels has handled established receivers in the past.
“When Josh McDaniels gets a new toy, a new receiver — he has a track record of killing it… A.J. Brown is going to have a monstrous year,” Edelman said.
Davante Adams, Brandon Marshall, Randy Moss and Wes Welker were among the examples Edelman pointed to while discussing the type of volume Brown could see in New England.
That prediction comes days before Brown is scheduled to make his Patriots regular-season debut against the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. It also arrives with a statistical history behind it.
Edelman Points to Josh McDaniels’ WR Track Record
McDaniels has repeatedly leaned on proven receivers when one becomes available to him.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer highlighted two especially useful examples after the Patriots acquired Brown. Brandon Marshall drew 154 targets for the Denver Broncos in 2009, catching 101 passes for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns. Davante Adams was targeted 180 times for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and finished with 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 scores.
The New England examples are even more known to Edelman.
Randy Moss erupted for 98 catches, 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 receiving touchdowns in his first Patriots season in 2007. Wes Welker arrived that same year and caught 112 passes for 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns.
Edelman previously made a similar point when discussing Brown with NBC Sports Boston in August, saying McDaniels “knows how to get the ball to receivers” and predicting a “huge year” for New England’s new No. 1 target.
The names have changed across McDaniels’ stops, but the common thread is difficult to miss. When an offense has a main receiver capable of dictating coverage, McDaniels has been willing to build a significant portion of the passing game around him.
Brown now fits that description.
Brown Has Room for a Target Spike in New England
Brown still produced 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, but his 121 targets were well below the 158 he received in 2023.
New England acquired him on June 1 for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, giving Drake Maye the esteemed outside receiver the offense lacked during last season’s run to the Super Bowl.
The Patriots showed McDaniels can generate production for a veteran newcomer with Maye at quarterback. Stefon Diggs caught 85 of 102 targets for 1,013 yards in 2025, despite playing a reduced snap share at points during the season.
Brown, meanwhile, will likely feature as the clear top option, and his track record suggests he can handle a heavier workload. The three-time second-team All-Pro has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons, including a career-best 1,496 yards in 2022.
There should also be little doubt about where the ball needs to go when New England needs a play. Brown’s physicality, yards-after-catch ability and downfield skill give Maye a target who can win in multiple areas of the field.
Edelman’s list reminds us of what McDaniels has done when handed that type of receiver before.
Presuming Brown’s target total begins moving closer to the territory Adams and Marshall occupied in McDaniels-led offenses, “monstrous” may end up being a reasonable description.
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