NFL rumors: Patriots plan to get Antonio Brown the ball ‘early’ vs. Dolphins

Antonio Brown reportedly will make his New England Patriots debut Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, and the team is planning to feature him in the offense right from the get go.

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported in a column Sunday morning that the goal for the Patriots is to get Brown the ball early in the game at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Patriots will play the Dolphins today and wideout Antonio Brown is expected to be on the field, sources say. He practiced every day during the week, is a real part of the game plan and, football-wise, is ready to contribute. As one source said, they plan to feed him. To that end, Brown stayed until 10 p.m. or later most days during the week to catch passes from backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, while he worked on his routes and the playbook. Similar to Josh Gordon’s debut last year, the goal will be to get him catches early, get him involved, and get one of the NFL’s best receivers some confidence in the scheme.

The Patriots' offense is not easy to learn, and we've seen veteran wide receivers struggle to pick it up. Brown staying late to catch passes and learn the playbook is an encouraging sign for the Patriots as they work to incorporate him into an offense that already was loaded without him.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady typically spreads the wealth around pretty well each week. He completed at least one pass to seven different players in New England's 33-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. However, it does make sense to get Brown involved early versus the Dolphins and build his in-game chemistry with Brady.

Brown hasn't played since Week 16 of last season. He didn't suit up for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 17 game in 2018, a matchup they had to win to make the playoffs.

The Patriots signed Brown to a one-year contract this past week. The 31-year-old wideout led the NFL in receiving touchdowns last season with 15.