"I was the best receiver to play for your franchise" - Where does A.J. Brown rank among Titans' best wide receivers?
A.J. Brown's draft night trade from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles came as a shock to many, especially Titans fans. The receiver made the move east after the Eagles gave up first and third-round picks, and immediately compensated their new star wideout with a four-year, $100 million contract.
Fans in Philadelphia were rightly overjoyed with the acquisition of the former Ole Miss standout, but the response in Tennessee was less positive.
Tennessee fans have been voicing their displeasure ever since the news of the departure broke. Now their frustrated former player has hit back on Twitter, saying the following:
"For the love of God. I was the best receiver to play for your franchise. Shut up and move on. You mad at the wrong person."
@SameerKES For the love of God , I was the best receiver to play for your franchise. Shut up and move on. You mad at the wrong person 🕺
His three years in the league have resulted in two trips to the Pro Bowl, one All-Pro nomination and almost 3,000 receiving yards. He quickly established himself as Ryan Tannerhill's number one target. But does this make him the best receiver in the franchise's history?
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Is A.J. Brown better than Derrick Mason or Nate Washington?
It may be more than six weeks since draft night, but the anger in Tennessee has shown no signs of subsiding. Brown's claim that he was the best wide receiver in Titans franchise history has further riled up a large contingent of fans, who have been quick to shoot that down as nonsense:
Seen AJ Brown was running his mouth saying he was the best WR to play for the Titans. Um no pal these guys played for that franchise #Titans #RandyMoss #EricDecker #JulioJones #DerrickMason #NFLTwitter #Eagles https://t.co/s4vmFyvU2o
Derrick Mason was the best receiver the Titans ever had. AJ Brown can go on to be great. But it won’t be with the Titans and it’s going to take a little time to get there. https://t.co/69m3GsgiHC
But do his claims have some merit? Focusing purely on the team in their current guise as the Titans, and exculding their previous incarnation as the Houston Oilers, there are a few contenders for that accolade.
The most popular choice with the Titans' fanbase is Derrick Mason, who spent eight seasons with the franchise from 1997-2004 and is fifth on the combined Oilers/Titans all-time list for reception yards with 6,114.
Mason had an impressive career in Tennessee and certainly has the edge with regards to length of tenure in Nashville, but a closer analysis of some key stats show that Brown was on course to surpass his achievements.
Brown has higher yards per catch, more receptions per game and yards per target than Mason, though the sample size is clearly smaller. He also displayed greater ball security, recording an average of one fumble a season, compared to Mason's 1.9.
Nate Washington could be considered another contender for the crown after racking up 4,591 yards and 307 receptions in five seasons. But once again, Brown was recording far greater numbers in all key areas in comparison to Washington.
In truth, this is a two-horse race. Do you prefer the longevity and consistency of Mason, or the explosive contribution of A.J. Brown, all be it over a shorter period of time?