FOXBOROUGH - There’s no question that Christian Gonzalez has ramped up his intensity and physicality this training camp, which has been a pleasant surprise when you consider his contractual situation.
What’s also been evident - at least to me - is that the cornerback’s been saving that little extra something for the Patriots’ newest number one receiver, A.J. Brown. Guess what? Brown has observed the same.
“He's going a little bit more, I should say,” Brown said, laughing when asked about Gonzalez’s demeanor with him. “Yeah, but with anyone else, he's just real calm and relaxed and more fluid. It’s cool though.”
The fourth-year pro has even taken to talking to Brown, which hasn’t been a huge part of Gonzalez’s game in prior seasons. Kayshon Boutte felt the need to step in between them during Thursday’s practice, and there have been a couple other instances of the two players getting heated with each other, with teammates and coaches closing in to make sure it doesn’t escalate beyond that. So what is it about Brown that brings this out of the quiet corner?
“I'm not sure. I'm not sure,” Brown repeated. “Like I said, it's not personal at all. I'm crafting, and I'm just trying to win my route. That may be a question for him. “
We did ask that of Gonzalez on Thursday, who in addition to noting it was “good on good” also added, “He’s going to face corners like that who are going to yap at him and going to try to get in his head. And I’m going to face receivers like that who are strong and come right back at me. So it’s great work for both of us.”
There could also be the added element of Gonzalez wanting to prove to the Patriots that he is worth every penny of what he’s asking for. How better to do that than lock up the receiver the team coughed up and first- and fifth-round picks for, and is paying nearly $30 million to this season? Gonzalez has done that, winning against Brown often, and even when the latter does make the catch, he’s usually doing it with the fourth-year pro right on his hip.
This isn’t coming as a surprise to Brown. He has been a believer in Gonzalez since his final season at the University of Oregon, and reiterated that faith two years ago when the Patriots and Eagles held joint practices in Foxborough. That was the forgettable Jerod Mayo season, and an unforgettably lopsided affair between the two teams. But Gonzalez, who had just four NFL games under his belt, impressed an at-the-height-of-his-powers Brown.
“He's definitely at the top of the list,” Brown said of where Gonzalez rates against the corners he’s faced. “He's very talented. He's been growing each and every year.
“As far as like the top of the guys, man, I took my losses, and I earned my wins, with Chris Harris Jr. (Denver), Jalen Ramsey - prime Jalen Ramsey - in Jacksonville. Just stacking those guys up there. Obviously, yes, I believe he's up there, and you know, again, I'm just crafting. That's it. It's nothing for me. Like, I'm just crafting. I promise you.”
The sense I get is that Brown doesn’t have the same urgency that Gonzalez does in these matchups. He’s already gotten his payday (twice, actually), while Gonzalez is fighting for his. There may be a little more, shall we say, pacing to Brown’s game, and even then, he’s been as good as any offensive player since the pads came on.
Brown’s connection with Drake Maye has been solid, especially on the underneath stuff. There have also been some moments where the backshoulder has been an effective weapon for the duo, as has the deep comeback.
We’ve also seen Brown in the slot, which he hasn’t done much of since his first year in Philadelphia. I would expect that he will get a fair share of snaps there, especially with Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams all capable of being the more stationary ‘X’ receiver.
“We're really still building,” Brown said of his chemistry with Maye. “We got a lot more work to do. I'm not gonna sit up here and say we arrived or anything like that. We're just trying to put our best foot forward each and every day.”
That relationship will be tested next week. The Colts are in town for a joint practice on Tuesday, and while I doubt Brown plays much, if at all, in Thursday’s preseason opener, he should get to see Indy’s outstanding duo of Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward during 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s and, of course, team. With tensions rising after 12 days of playing against the same faces, the Colts are getting here at the right time.
“I believe we need to go against somebody else because we're right at the edge,” Brown observed. “That's good for a team. It's really good for a team… but we're toeing the line.”