FOXBORO, Mass. — Kevin Byard was a veteran of three NFL seasons and an established safety with the Tennessee Titans when rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown showed up in 2019, fresh off being picked by Mike Vrabel in the second round.

Seven years later, Byard still remembers going against Brown in practices.

“He was unstoppable,” Byard said. “Obviously, A.J.’s very talented still. But young A.J. had a lot to prove and couldn’t be covered in one-on-ones.”

Now, Byard and Brown could be teammates again soon. After leading the NFL in interceptions last season with seven, Byard, 32, signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Patriots to boost the back end of their defense. And if the Patriots, as expected, complete a trade in June to land Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, that’ll mean more practices for Byard against Brown.

The two were teammates with the Titans from 2019 to 2021. Vrabel was their head coach.

Brown’s rookie season was when it became evident to Byard how good the receiver could be. In Week 4 of that season against the Atlanta Falcons, Brown caught a pass on a slant route and went 55 yards for a score, the first of his two touchdowns that game.

“And at that point, I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s going to be a dog. He’s going to be a really good player,’” Byard said. “And he basically just took off since then.”

On Tuesday, two of the Patriots’ most prominent free-agent signings of the offseason expressed excitement about the possibility of a trade for Brown. Byard was one.

The other meaningful show of support came from Romeo Doubs, the 26-year-old wide receiver whom the Patriots handed a four-year contract worth $68 million.

“I have a ton of respect for him,” Doubs said of Brown. “He’s been a dude in this league for quite a long time. I understand that when he first got in the league, Vrabel was his coach. So again, I understand there are a lot of rumors going around. If he’s here, I’d love to have him here. And if he isn’t here, I’m still going to wish him the best because he’s one of the best guys in this league.”

When Doubs signed with the Patriots, it was clear he was their No. 1 wide receiver. But he said then that part of what appealed to him about New England was that Josh McDaniels’ offense doesn’t tend to favor just one wideout.

That adds extra importance to Doubs’ feelings about the potential of Brown joining the fold.

“I was true to my word when I came here that there is no No. 1 guy in this offense,” Doubs said. “So, whatever it is I have to do, whether it’s playing into the strength more or playing on the backside every here and now, or even (special teams), which I’m really familiar with because I’ve done it in Green Bay, I’m open to all roles. That’s just part of this league. You know, the more you can do, the more you can do for the team, the more you show for yourself.”

For now, Doubs said he’s trying to learn the Patriots offense under McDaniels with help from fellow receivers DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism.

As it currently stands, the Patriots’ group of wide receivers probably ranks in the bottom half of the league. Brown would meaningfully change that. Suddenly, Doubs would be their No. 2, with Douglas, Williams or Kayshon Boutte (if he weren’t involved in the trade) as the No. 3 option.

The Patriots’ pursuit of Brown feels like a foregone conclusion at this point, a view that was reinforced when the Eagles selected wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round of the draft and the Patriots didn’t take a wide receiver at all.

Now, it’s just a matter of waiting until June. And even if they don’t know any of the details about the potential of Brown joining the Pats, the idea is enough to get some players excited.

“We honestly haven’t talked about it directly, and I don’t know what the situation is,” Byard said of his conversations with Brown. “I hope it can work out. I hope he can come here and play for us, but that remains to be seen.”