The Miami Dolphins are not in a position to compete for the AFC East title in 2026, and you could argue that 2027 will only be marginally better. That doesn't mean it won't be painful to watch the rest of the division.
Seeing the Patriots win the East last year was gut-wrenching, considering the Dolphins had already gone through their own rebuild and failed. Now, the Patriots may be on the verge of getting better.
On Friday, it was announced that the Green Bay Packers are sending WR Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles. That trade has no implications on the Dolphins, not yet anyway, but it does open a door.
Dontayvion Wicks trade could bring A.J. Brown to the Miami Dolphins AFC East rival Patriots
The Eagles, Patriots, and Brown have been tied together since before the start of free agency. Thus far, a deal has not been reached. With the arrival of Wicks, the doors for Brown to leave Philadelphia are once again open.
The Patriots are reportedly willing to trade a first-round pick for Brown, but nothing is imminent, and any trade parameters are nothing more than speculation. The interest is there, and has been.
Facing Brown twice a year isn't something Dolphins fans want to see, but there is a reality that we would be overlooking if this did happen. Brown is beyond the apex of his career. He has a couple of good years left, and that's about it. Miami won't be relevant until he is heading out the door. At worst, he is an aging WR who is more of a liability.
Brown isn't exactly a model locker room citizen either. He will acclimate to the Patriots' room, but what happens when things start to go south?
The Bills are the team that needs to worry. For the better part of the last decade, the Bills have run the AFC East, but the Patriots stole it last season. The Bills fired Sean McDermott and hired Joe Brady to run the team. Now they are back in the second seat chasing the front, and Brown could make that more difficult.
Last year's Patriots team wasn't as good as many had hyped. They skated through the playoffs against teams with major injuries at key positions, including an AFC Championship game they barely won against the Bo Nix-less Broncos. In the Super Bowl, they were destroyed.
Will Brown make the Patriots better? On paper, yes, for a few years, yes, beyond that? Probably not.