For A.J. Brown, he didn’t have to ask the famous ‘Field of Dreams’ line – “Is this heaven?” The former Eagles receiver, now a New England Patriots receiver, called his new home outside of Boston – not in an Iowa cornfield - just after the Eagles shipped him north this offseason.

Brown, however, seemed to make life hell for the Eagles during Wednesday’s first of two practices against the Patriots in Foxboro, based on reporting from media in attendance.

“It was love, man,” said Brown to reporters after practice. “It was love. I know I’m on the opposing team right now, but I still felt some love.

“It’s not about closure or anything. It’s love. I won a Super Bowl ring with them. It’s always love, no matter how anyone feels. I love Philly, and I will always love Philly. But I’m here now, and this is where my feet are, and what I’m focused on.”

That love may not extend to his former quarterback Jalen Hurts. When asked if he had a chance to catch up with Hurts, Brown looked down and said simply, “No.” Later, he added:  “I’m sure if our paths run across (each other), yeah, sure.”

Hurts said pretty much the same thing.

Meanwhile, there was plenty of love to go around for and from Milton Williams with his former teammates. The one-time third-round pick of Philly is in his second season with the Patriots, but that didn’t stop him from hugging and slapping hands with his old mates.

Brown didn’t show much love and affection on or off the field, where he took the Eagles’ DBs to task. First-team All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and Brown reportedly lined up one-on-one on occasion and those reps were battles, just like their days together in Philly, though it was reported that there wasn't the sort of trash talk between the two that was present when they were teammates.

“He looked a little better,” said Mitchell, via the Patriots’ website. “He looked a little better, a little faster. Like I said, he's a great receiver. You know, he's going to keep getting better. I'm going to keep getting better. We're going to keep working.

"Just good on good, I enjoy those battles. I feel like we both know each other well. Obviously, he's working on some things. Obviously, I'm working on things. We're both getting better.”

A.J. Brown Compliments Quinyon Mitchell

Brown did throw some love Mitchell’s way, though on one deep throw, with Mitchell close in coverage, Brown was unable to secure the ball. The receiver said his former teammate held him, though he laughed when he said it.

“I won, and he pulled himself back into the play,” said Brown. “I just have to finish the play. My right hand didn’t get to the ball quick enough. My left hand got on the ball. That’s on me, attention to detail, catching the ball high, not letting it get low. So those little things. It’s never about who I’m going against. It’s the little things.”

That said, Brown showed a little love to Mitchell. Sort of.

“Same Quinyon,” he said. “He’s getting better and better. I’m excited for him. I think he can get even better.”

Brown was a captain on last year’s Eagles team, and the one before that. It was last year, however, that he went down with the ship, performing poorly over the final handful of regular-season games and in the wildcard playoff loss to the 49ers.

“I’m here now,” he told one reporter. “I’m not going backwards.”

And what does he think his future looks like, asked another reporter?

“I can’t tell the future,” he said. “I’m not trying to. All I have is today. And I can’t get today back. I'm done. All I have is tomorrow. So I’m focusing on one day at a time; that’s the only thing I’m worried about.”