Most times, it’s funny how life works.

It took eight years, but A.J. Brown is where he wants to be.

The former Eagle is now playing at his dream destination; a place he had once envisioned except the Titans drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft. Philly picked him up for 2022 first- and third-round picks.

“Yeah, that was a tough night,” recalled Brown recently about draft night. “I joked about it earlier, the Patriots been breakin’ my heart over the years. I was just disappointed, y’know? It was something, right where I wanted to be. You know, obviously, I wanted to play with Tom (Brady), so, uh, that didn’t happen. But, y’know, everything happens for a reason.”

It did. And, ironically, Brown is reunited with ex-Titans boss and Pats’ head coach Mike Vrabel. The Pats now have a viable No. 1 receiver in the soon-to-be 29-year-old Brown. He left his Eagles’ seventh-leading, 5,019 yards and 31 touchdowns on the table.

So, where does that leave the Eagles? They will rely on DeVonta Smith, a high profile rookie, and a cast of secondary receivers who will look to raise the bar.

The Young and the Restless ... It wasn’t a secret around Eagles circles and sources that Brown wanted out of Birdland. If you watched his last year, you could see how Brown’s play deteriorated and how he pined for a departure via his social media.

It all added up to an exit. And this wasn’t a parallel to Terrell Owens, who divided the locker room and referred to Donovan McNabb as an Uncle Tom. Brown began to show his desire for an exodus after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. You just had to read the tea leaves.

Brown is certainly a talent and he recorded four straight 1,000-yard plus seasons. He was on the top of his game in 2022 with 88 grabs for 1,496 with 11 scores, and he followed that with a Super Bowl season of 106 catches for 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith, who wasn’t considered their No. 1, has taken over the top spot. Surprisingly, though, he does have good numbers.

He caught 77 passes for 1,098 yards with four touchdowns last season and has 5,019 career yards with 31 touchdowns, good for 10th on the all-time list.

The searing spotlight will be top pick Makai Lemon, who will loom as a deep threat. Lemon will have to endure the early comparisons as Brown’s heir apparent.

But to relieve that tension, there’s ex-Chief Hollywood Brown and ex-Jet and Bronco Elijah Moore. The big pick was ex-Packer Dontayvion Wicks, who had an adequate career in Green Bay. They recently added ex-Packer Samori Torre, who along with Wicks has a relationship with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion in Packerland.

There’s also reliable tight end Dallas Goedert and keep an eye on rookie Eli Stowers, who will be worked into the mix.

The wild cards in the mix will be 25-year-old Quez Watkins, who is back for his second stint with the team; 25-year-old Johnny Wilson, who missed all of last year with injuries; 27-year-old Danny Gray, who last played with the 49ers in 2022; and second-year special teams player Danny Cooper, who should get a shot.

In Howie We Trust ... It is a crowded receiver/tight end room with 12 wide receivers and five tight ends in the current mix.

But, as you have in the past, keep the trust in GM Howie Roseman.

He will make it an intriguing summer, and it will be interesting how the final receiver amount shakes down in early September. Somehow, Roseman will get it right.

The prize fruit hanging from the tree in 2028 is the Pats’ No. 1 draft pick. Yet, that could be a bit bruised if Brown leads the Pats to the Lombardi Trophy this season.

Golden Touch ... The college football season is creeping up gradually on the horizon, and several coaches — notably Illinois’ Bret Bielema and Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire — have bellowed about Notre Dame not being in a conference.

Irish AD Pete Bevacqua has talked about a super conference that would be beneficial financially to all the teams involved, but he hasn’t followed through with it.

Bevacqua has a sweet TV deal, and the Irish are still a major media draw. If the Irish weren’t perennial national champion contenders like they have been the past few years, it would be curious to see if the non-league rants would be as loud.

The bar is again high this season, and the early lines support it. Notre Dame is a 23.5 favorite against North Carolina (Oct. 3), -10.5 against BYU (Oct. 17), -7 against Miami (Oct. 24), and -17.5 against SMU (Nov. 27).

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will look back at the career of a former local standout.

Ngoyi Mukusa was a standout running back and cornerback for Jim Thorpe and a 2001 graduate. Mukusa was a refugee from Zaire who overcame a civil war in his country and the loss of his parents.

As a sophomore, Mukusa rushed for 907 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. The following season, Mukusa ran for 601 yards and tallied eight touchdowns.

Unfortunately, he lost his senior year because he turned 19 in May, and that violated PIAA rules.

Mukusa continued his career at Lock Haven University. His best season was when he recorded 41 tackles with an interception as a junior.

See Ya Later ... In a recent Times News Lehighton Sports Facebook poll, an overwhelmingly 82 percent believed the Eagles made the right move by trading A.J. Brown to the Patriots.

A slim 18 percent believed Brown should have remained an Eagle.

Readers Write

Good Move

Dear Jeff,

As far as A.J., it needed to happen. It was obvious that he wasn’t happy with his role here anymore.

Now, we have a true #1 in DeVonta Smith, a promising rookie at #2, and another first-round pick in 2028., which is hard to come by. All in all, it was another good move by Howie..Go Birds!

Ben Thomas

Bethlehem, PA

Wishful Thinking

Dear Jeff,

I just hope the move works out for the Eagles.

Jim Bechtel

Pen Argyl, PA

Matriculating Down The Field ... In each column, I will look back at a former player, coach or game from the gridiron.

Do you remember Eagles wide receiver Calvin Williams?

He was a fifth-round pick in the 1990 draft out of Purdue. Williams caught 37 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season.

Arguably, his best season was in 1993 when he hauled in 60 passes for 725 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Williams split his final 1996 season with the Eagles and Ravens, catching 15 passes with seven touchdowns.

Overall, Williams had 308 receptions for 3,925 with 35 touchdowns.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonine.com