Had success against the Patriots: We've seen examples in the past where the Patriots have trouble defending a player, and in future years, that leads Bill Belichick to pursue that player. Wes Welker is the most notable example of that. While not at Welker's level, LaFell was excellent in the Panthers' 24-20 win over the Patriots on Nov. 18. He had a season-high seven catches and a touchdown.
Getting a feel for LaFell as a player: When it was first learned that the Patriots hosted LaFell on a free-agent visit this past Wednesday, I went back to watch the Nov. 18 Patriots-Panthers game to get a better feel for his style of play. He aligned in various spots in the game, and was often used in motion. He played on the outside in two-receiver sets, although the Panthers often had two receivers to the same side, and in those cases, LaFell would usually be aligned as the inside receiver. In the three-receiver set, he would mostly be in the slot as the Panthers seemed to want the speed of Steve Smith and Ted Ginn outside. LaFell showed good hands (e.g. tough sideline catch for a first down), precise route-running (e.g. 9-yard slant for a touchdown against Logan Ryan) and strength as a blocker (e.g. he leveled defensive end Andre Carter on one play). LaFell doesn't wow with speed and might be summed up best this way -- a solid-not-spectacular receiver with good size (6-2, 210) and versatility. He also boasts potential as a red zone target, and he's been durable in his four years in the NFL (just four games missed)
