In Brown, the Patriots are getting an offensive lineman they are very familiar with (he played for New England in 2018). A mammoth road grader, Brown should help elevate New England's running game (which was already pretty good). His return to the Pats will likely mean veteran Marcus Cannon (who opted out of the 2020 campaign) is out the door.

For the Raiders, this deal is mostly about reliability and getting the most bang for your buck. Brown was great for Las Vegas when on the field, but he only made 16 starts out of 32 in his two years as a Raider. For GM Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden, that was simply not enough. So, they accepted a two-round draft upgrade in '22 from New England.

New England's offense should be better merely by Brown's presence, assuming he is healthy. However, they still need to address the quarterback position and find a long-term replacement for Tom Brady, who was sorely missed last season.