NEW ORLEANS — If only Mike Vrabel knew what A.J. Brown was actually writing in his notebook. The newly hired Patriots head coach and the Eagles receiver have a tight bond nowadays, but when Vrabel’s Titans drafted Brown with a second-round pick in 2019, it wasn’t all smooth sailing during team meetings.

“For me as a player, especially a quarterback, you want that,” Maye said. “You like that. You want to be coached hard. We’re playing at the highest level, but we still need to be coached hard. ... We probably need that, a little hard coaching.”

A Patriots roster that lacked talent on both sides of the ball finished Week 18 with a record of 4-13 before owner Robert Kraft showed Mayo the door.