FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots left tackle Trent Brown has garnered rave reviews this summer for his athleticism, which head coach Bill Belichick and multiple players have called very impressive for a man of his immense stature.
Trey Flowers witnessed Brown’s sneaky mobility first-hand two years ago.
Back in 2016, Brown was a right tackle for the San Francisco 49ers. When the Niners hosted the Patriots in Week 11 that season, Flowers spent a good chunk of his defensive snaps lined up opposite the 6-foot-8, 380-pound behemoth he now shares a locker room with.
Flowers recalled that experience when asked about Brown following Saturday’s training camp practice.
“I went up against him in San Fran,” the defensive end said. “He had some decent feet then. But he’s definitely a guy that you can look at and you may think that he’s not as athletic or doesn’t move as well, but he can surprise you. He’s definitely a great addition to the team, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cni4jXHqJBk
The Patriots traded for Brown in April to help fill the void left by Nate Solder’s departure. After being limited in spring practice following shoulder surgery, he’s been a mainstay on New England’s first-team offensive line throughout training camp.
Brown’s physical attributes have made him a difficult opponent for defenders in 1-on-1 lineman drills.
“Trent is big, and he can move his feet well,” Flowers said. “You can’t really go around him. You definitely can’t go through him. So you’ve just got to find a way to get him to move his feet or whatever. But he’s a big guy, and you’ve just got to figure out a way.”
Brown, whom 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan once called the best pass-protection tackle he’d ever seen, allowed one sack and had one false start penalty in that 2016 matchup, which the Patriots easily won 30-17 en route to a Super Bowl title.
