Safety Kevin Byard suggested Tuesday on SiriusXM's The Players Point that the presence of a top-tier No. 1 wide receiver like Brown will shift the philosophy of how opponents want to play defense against the Patriots, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.
Byard previously played with Brown in Tennessee and Philadelphia before the wideout got traded to New England this offseason, and he compared the effect on defenses to how he and the Bears previously prepared to face Justin Jefferson twice a year. "When I was in Chicago... for the most part, you need(ed) to point out where Jefferson was on every single play," Byard said, while adding that it will be "the same thing" for opposing defenders this season "with A.J." in terms of assessing where he lines up on any given play. Per Evan Lazar of the team's official site, Brown has gotten most of his practice reps so far at outside receiver, but it's possible that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will look to move Brown around the formation in order to create favorable matchups, providing quarterback Drake Maye with more opportunities to get the ball to his top read.