The Facts: Brown's production drop-off last season was due to more than just the symptoms related to carrying the Sickle Cell trait. Brown said Tuesday that a cyst found on his spine during an X-ray was drained after the season, relieving pain while re-energizing the 27-year-old after a difficult season both on and off the field.

Diehards Line: Within 24 hours of the procedure, Brown said he began feeling "normal" again. "I'm feeling like myself," Brown said after the first day of the Arizona Cardinals' OTAs. "I'm feeling good. I'm ready to help the team again." As ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss reminded readers, Brown's struggles on the field were noticeable. The third-year player had a career low 39 catches, 517 yards and two touchdowns, with 24 catches and 301 yards coming in the first six weeks -- before he was diagnosed as a carrier of the Sickle Cell trait. The leg pain and fatigue he experienced leading up to the Sickle Cell trait diagnosis could've been a result of the cyst, Brown said Tuesday. Brown said he also couldn't eat or lift weights. Back on the field as the Cardinals begin preparing for the 2017 season, Brown is out to prove he's the same receiver who had 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015. So far, so good. "He doesn't look like he looked last year," QB Carson Palmer said.