Patriots Sign WR Brandon LaFell to 3-year contract

[50-yard-line]

Welker is the best slot WR of all time. He became an even better weapon than Moss due to his reliability and his timing with Brady to always be where he needed to be. Losing him was huge, because Brady lost his safety net and it went to the team's new biggest rival who already had two great weapons at WR. Losing Welker was a disaster and the people that tried to spin it at this time last season ended up with an egg on their face.

Edelman was as productive than Welker last year, and I really don't think this discussion is even fair without counting the resources and money spent on TE targets in Gronk and the Prisoner.

 

[mayoclinic]

Laffell is a good blocker and a great red zone threat.
Would rather have him than James Jones.

I had preferred Jones, but I'm beginning to come around to this point of view. LaFell is a superb blocker from all accounts, and BB values that very highly. And really, what we need is better red zone execution. We have plenty of options for moving the chains, but it all comes down to executing in the red zone.

 

[Texxx]

Your history, as I've shown, is straight-up wrong. Given your inability to recognize that fact, you'll excuse me for not wasting my time with your half-baked trolling.

Speaking of insults, your vocabulary sucks

What history are you speaking of? Either produce this history where my arguments have been dead wrong, or you're clearly talking out of your ass here. You keep calling me a troll, but you fail to bring anything to the table. Any criticism that management may receive is off limits to you is what you are projecting to me. That is the only message that you are delivering.

 

[JackBauer]

What history are you speaking of? Either produce this history where my arguments have been dead wrong, or you're clearly talking out of your ass here. You keep calling me a troll, but you fail to bring anything to the table. Any criticism that management may receive is off limits to you is what you are projecting to me. That is the only message that you are delivering.

Can I get this translated into English?

 

[West Philly Patriot]

I read on another forum Lafell got 4M guaranteed. Haven't been able to track down anything concrete.

Anybody heard anything? 4M for him makes me scratch my head a little.

 

[kennyb]

I read on another forum Lafell got 4M guaranteed. Haven't been able to track down anything concrete.

Anybody heard anything? 4M for him makes me scratch my head a little.

That would make me scratch my head a lot. He's a vet min level player, IMO.

 

[strngplyr]

Mike Reiss ‏@MikeReiss 21s
Closer look at WR Brandon LaFell's 3-year, $9 million contract w/ Patriots, which includes $3 million signing bonus: Breaking down LaFell's contract - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN

Moral of the story:

Don't believe intial reports.

Browner reported as 3/17. Really 3/12.5 base.
Edelman reported as 3yr. Really 4yr.
LaFell reported as 3/11. Really 3/9.

LaFells cap hits are very nice. Almost nothing this year, expecting a 10m jump in cap space next year his number is raised only 1.2m, expecting another ~10m the year after, his cap hit only jumps 600k.

I like this signing the more I see about it.

 

[patsinthesnow]

That's a solid contract for a WR3 with youth and some upside.

 

[JackBauer]

Dunno if this was posted but Richard Hill had a decent writeup on LaFell: Breaking Down Patriots Receiver Brandon LaFell - Pats Pulpit

Cliff's notes: out route and red zone target. Also worth noting his high drop % last season looks like an outlier.

 

[Rob0729]

Brandon LaFell's deal:

Brandon LaFell's deal with New England comes in at $9 million over 3 years. $3 million guaranteed. Cap numbers: $2M, $3.2M, $3.8M.

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/445954220815298560

Emanuel Sanders' deal:

Also, Emmanuel Sanders' deal is pretty straight forward -- $15 million over three years, with $6 million guaranteed. Cap #'s: $6M, $4M, $5M.

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/445955232993136640


Whether you think one is better than the other, the gap in talent isn't that great. The contracts, on the other hand, are fairly significant in differences. Sanders makes more in two years than LaFell makes in three.

 

[dex13]

Dunno if this was posted but Richard Hill had a decent writeup on LaFell: Breaking Down Patriots Receiver Brandon LaFell - Pats Pulpit

Cliff's notes: out route and red zone target. Also worth noting his high drop % last season looks like an outlier.

I don't know if I would call it an outlier. From the panther's forums, it seems like he "hears footsteps" when going over the middle (especially when LBs are around). Since the Pats have excellent interior receivers, they'll keep LaFell outside the numbers mostly or at least away from the LB traffic. I see him as a Brandon Lloyd replacement which is a good thing.

 

[Big-T]

James Jones: 59 rec, 817 yards, 3 TD
Brandon LaFell: 49 rec, 627 yards, 5 TD
Emmanuel Sanders: 67 rec, 740 yards, 6 TD

LaFell & Sanders are the same age, Jones is a few years older. Based on those numbers last season though...could you really justify picking the smaller Emmanuel Sanders for $4m more this season?

Just based on the numbers and body types though - you cannot compare the 3 players, they all have different roles and suit team needs differently. New England wanted a big receiver - they got the tallest of the 3.

 

[mgteich]

We just gave LeFell a $3M bonus. He will make the 2014 roster. The new money cost for his 2014 services will be $1M.

 

[strngplyr]

Brandon LaFell's deal:



https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/445954220815298560

Emanuel Sanders' deal:



https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/445955232993136640


Whether you think one is better than the other, the gap in talent isn't that great. The contracts, on the other hand, are fairly significant in differences. Sanders makes more in two years than LaFell makes in three.

And just a quick comparison:

LaFell - 60 Games, 167/295 (56.6%) 2,385yds, 14.3ypc, 13 TD
Sanders - 56 Games, 161/278 (57.9%) 2,030yds, 12.6ypc, 11 TD

LaFell is 3 inches taller and weighs 30lbs more, has been slightly more durable ((14, 16, 14, 16) vs (13, 11, 16, 16)) and played as the 3rd receiving option in a run first offense.

Sanders has been the #3/2 option in a pass happy offense with Big Ben.

I'll take LaFell (for less money, too) every day of the week over Sanders who is more suited for an inside role that we already have 3 players clogging up with their specific skill sets in Edelman, Amendola, and Boyce.

LaFell - Edelman - Gronk - Dobson should be a nice redzone combination of size and speed that we've lacked the last 2 or 3 years assuming all can stay healthier than they did last season.

 

[Claremonster]

The more that I read about LaFell, the more that it sounds like that the Panthers put him in the slot, where he doesn't really belong. He is closer to Dobson than say, a Welker or Edelman.

He might be a good sign here.

Hopefully he can read the playbook better than Donald Hayes.

 

[mayoclinic]

LaFell - Edelman - Gronk - Dobson should be a nice redzone combination of size and speed that we've lacked the last 2 or 3 years assuming all can stay healthier than they did last season.

Aaron Dobson had a solid 1st year, and has a lot of upside. He's almost 6'3" with 4.37 speed. Demaryius Thomas took a full 3 years (and Denver getting Manning at QB) before he emerged as a legitimate #1 receiver. In fact, Dobson had as much production he rookie season as Thomas did in his 2nd year.

It's obviously not a given, but if Dobson can progress, then I think we could see something like Dobson as a Demaryius Thomas thread, Lafell as a "poor man's Eric Decker", and Edelman in the slot. Add in Gronk, and you'd have a darn good WR group. It may take another year to fully develop, but that would be a really solid nucleus, not even including the possible development of Thompkins, Boyce and Harrison.

 

[Deus Irae]

LaFell doesn't mind blocking, but he doesn't like to get hit. He'll get over that, or he'll be gone before his deal is up.

 

[Stylez]

Just saw the contract details. I'm feeling much better about the Lafell signing. Honestly, with the $ we spent on Lafell vs what the Broncs did with Sanders, I think we came out ahead.

Keep having this internal satisfaction that although it's a competitive run on FA for both teams, we keep pulling ahead due to the type/nature of the contract and money.

 

[patchick]

LaFell doesn't mind blocking, but he doesn't like to get hit. He'll get over that, or he'll be gone before his deal is up.

Deus, I'm curious how that plays out -- have you seen him not go all-out for balls in traffic, or duck out of bounds to avoid a hit rather than digging in for an extra yard, or...?

 

[Rob0729]

LaFell doesn't mind blocking, but he doesn't like to get hit. He'll get over that, or he'll be gone before his deal is up.

Odds are LaFell won't be in the slot nearly as much as he was in Carolina. If he moves outside more, him getting hit is not as big of an issue. Outside receivers don't get the wood laid to them nearly as much as inside guys.