Still, Brown has some bitter feelings about what happened with the team that drafted him in Round 7 of the 2015 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers.
Speaking to reporters during his introductory press conference with the Raiders, Brown offered up some thoughts on what he went through during that period in time and being dealt away from the Niners in 2018.
"I think I was playing pretty well when I was in San Fran but what took my game to the next level was just going to an organization who believed in me," Brown said. "[With the Patriots] an organization who believed in me. A locker room full of guys that believed in each other, pushed each other - we worked hard as a team, no egos. Confidence shot through the roof and I kind of felt disrespected about the trade and I wanted to prove everybody wrong."
Brown entered 2018 as the de facto 49ers right tackle after starting a total of 26 games there the previous two seasons. But on the first night of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Niners selected former Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey. Then they traded Brown and a fifth-round pick to the Patriots a day later in exchange for a Round 3 selection. McGlinchey was then placed into the starting right tackle spot.
There were question marks about Brown's work ethic and his ability to stay in shape during his San Francisco tenure. Plus, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was insistent on improving his team's run-blocking abilities, which didn't play into Brown's skill set at the time. Brown was known much more for his pass protection, while McGlinchey was viewed as more of a mobile run blocker.
In the week leading up to Super Bowl LIII, Brown echoed similar sentiments to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, saying, "I just feel like me coming here with all the bull crap that's been said about me and my name has been slandered, me coming here and shattering all those bad things that have been said about me, I think that's helped me out a lot."
At least Brown now has 66 million reasons to be happy about the trade that sent him to a Super Bowl champion and then to a record-setting deal.
Written By:
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
@PeterPanacy
YouTube Channel
Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Bold move: 49ers trade up to land tackle in mock draft
In his previous mock draft for CBS Sports, Tom Fornelli had the San Francisco 49ers selecting a starting cornerback with the 11th overall pick. However, in his latest projection, Fornelli envisions general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan taking a much more... -
Top Offensive Draft Prospects the 49ers Could Target at No. 11
The 49ers lost a key piece to their offense this season, trading wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick. They also lost starting offensive guard Aaron Banks to free agency. If the 49ers decide to address the offensive side with pick 11,... -
49ers surpass Ravens for rushing records after NFL incorporates AAFC stats
The 2019 Baltimore Ravens rushed for an impressive 3,296 yards during the regular season, setting what was then the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single season—until now. This week, the NFL announced it would begin incorporating statistics from the All-America... -
Why 49ers' Nick Bosa is a top-5 defensive centerpiece
NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks recently ranked the top defensive centerpieces he'd build an NFL roster around. Topping the list are two dominant pass rushers—Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett—which comes as no surprise. Both are under 30 and widely considered among...