To say the distractions have been far lessened around the Philadelphia Eagles recently would be an understatement. Now that the A.J. Brown trade is fully in the rear view, this team can focus a lot easier without one massive cloud hanging over their head.
One of the receivers who will benefit from Brown's departure, and who was brought in knowing the trade would ultimately happen, is former Green Bay Packers wideout Dontayvion Wicks.
After a recent OTA practice, Wicks was asked about his experience with quarterback Jalen Hurts so far, and the former Packer had nothing but praise for number one:
"It's been fun. Me and J-Hurts talk a lot since I've been here ... it's been fun to do things with him, getting together even outside of here. It's always good to have a relationship with your QB. He's one of those guys that want to talk to us, and I love that."
On one hand, this could be your typical podium speak from a newcomer. But, on another hand, it is a refreshing answer to hear from a wide receiver catching passes from Jalen Hurts.
It's certainly not something we have heard from A.J. Brown in recent years, that's for sure.
Dontayvion Wicks said what A.J. Brown never would about Jalen Hurts
If you tried to search for genuinely positive comments from Brown regarding Hurts, maybe one of the last public examples you'd find was back before Hurts got his mega extension. Brown publicly said that if the Eagles didn't pay Hurts, he'd want to follow his quarterback wherever he went.
Oh, how times have changed. Things were a whole lot simpler three years ago.
What was particularly interesting about Wicks' comments was his point that Hurts is the type of quarterback who wants to talk to his wide receivers. It might sound like a simple comment at first, but when you take into consideration the fact that Hurts and Brown weren't all that close leading up to the big trade, that's telling.
Whatever had happened behind closed doors, Hurts and Brown just weren't all that close anymore. It would be surprising to learn whether they still spent time together outside the building or communicated outside "work" hours, as Wicks did during his time with the media.
We might never know all of the little facts or details, and that's fine. But fans can pretty much assume that Brown had wanted out of Philly for a very long time and that he was unhappy with his role, as well as with Hurts' play and/or decision-making on the field.
When you hear folks talk about the idea that this trade is going to be a good thing for Hurts, I think Wicks' comments shed a little bit of light on that. The positive here is that Hurts won't have to worry about Brown constantly demanding targets and attention. He won't have to worry about the constant speculation or borderline negativity coming from Brown's direction.
Now, he's got a wide receiver room with guys he desires to be around, desires to pour his time into, and from what we've seen so far, the feelings are mutual.
Read more: Jalen Hurts closed out Eagles OTAs in the worst way possible
Wicks simply said the quiet part out loud; a part that Brown wouldn't have said or admitted for a very long time.
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