Brandon LaFell megathread

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I like the signing. Lets look at the perception of his arms of stone thing.
Cam Newton is not the NFL greatest passer.
LaFell had a 9% drop rate that is he dropped 6 out of 55 catchable balls.
The two receivers ahead of him with the panthers.
Steve Smith- 5.5% he dropped 6 out of 70 catchables.
Greg Olson- 3.6% he dropped 4 out of 77 catchables.
LaFel did most of his work in the slot 63% this is where all but one of his drops came. It is also as we all know one of the harder places for any WR. You do get hit more.
Lets look at the rate of another top slot WR. Welker 9% drop rate he dropped 10 out of 83 catchable balls last season.
With Brady throwing the ball I tend to believe LaFell's drop rate will fall.
 
Britt passed the Rams' medical exams. Maybe his knees are ok after all.
 
Mike Reiss with a quick thought. He went back and reviewed the Pats - Panthers game...

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).
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Patriots-Lifer said:
I like the signing. Lets look at the perception of his arms of stone thing.
Cam Newton is not the NFL greatest passer.
LaFell had a 9% drop rate that is he dropped 6 out of 55 catchable balls.
The two receivers ahead of him with the panthers.
Steve Smith- 5.5% he dropped 6 out of 70 catchables.
Greg Olson- 3.6% he dropped 4 out of 77 catchables.
LaFel did most of his work in the slot 63% this is where all but one of his drops came. It is also as we all know one of the harder places for any WR. You do get hit more.
Lets look at the rate of another top slot WR. Welker 9% drop rate he dropped 10 out of 83 catchable balls last season.
With Brady throwing the ball I tend to believe LaFell's drop rate will fall.
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PFF had him dropping 8 of 57 catchables for a 14% drop rate. His hands are just under 9", which is pretty small. Anyway, by league averages, a drop rate over about 7% is fairly high. Average is +/- 5%. A drop rate under 4% is very good.

Welker's drop rate was about league average through 2010, but started going up in 2011. Amendola and Edelman work out of the slot quite a bit and their drop rates are lower.

How often a QB needs to fastball short throws into closing windows over the middle may have an even larger impact on drop rates than the receiver getting hit. Brady probably anticipates those windows more quickly than Newton, which would allow him more leeway on touch/speed, but he also may be a bit different with his ball placement, so LaFell may need to be prepared to extend more often, especially on lower throws.
 
I disagree about this signing.. I bet hes 2nd or 3rd at worst in receptions and will tally the most TDs at the WR position.... JMO
 
MaineMan said:
PFF had him dropping 8 of 57 catchables for a 14% drop rate. His hands are just under 9", which is pretty small. Anyway, by league averages, a drop rate over about 7% is fairly high. Average is +/- 5%. A drop rate under 4% is very good.

Welker's drop rate was about league average through 2010, but started going up in 2011. Amendola and Edelman work out of the slot quite a bit and their drop rates are lower.

How often a QB needs to fastball short throws into closing windows over the middle may have an even larger impact on drop rates than the receiver getting hit. Brady probably anticipates those windows more quickly than Newton, which would allow him more leeway on touch/speed, but he also may be a bit different with his ball placement, so LaFell may need to be prepared to extend more often, especially on lower throws.
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Well all I can say is my stats come from an NFL source who has never misdirected me before. Newton is not a great passer and is at his worst on the run. LaFell was most often his target when Cam was running out of the pocket. Edelman has Brady throwing the ball.
 
Patriot Ron said:
I disagree about this signing.. I bet hes 2nd or 3rd at worst in receptions and will tally the most TDs at the WR position.... JMO
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Love the enthusiasm but he's had 4 yrs to prove it & hasn't yet.
 
chevss454 said:
Love the enthusiasm but he's had 4 yrs to prove it & hasn't yet.
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On the other hand, getting 50 receptions and 700ish yards + somewhere between 4 and 8 td's out of a WR isn't the worst we could do, is it?

Especially if he can block consistently in the run game and open up for Amendola/Edelman too.
 
anderson said:
On the other hand, getting 50 receptions and 700ish yards + somewhere between 4 and 8 td's out of a WR isn't the worst we could do, is it?

Especially if he can block consistently in the run game and open up for Amendola/Edelman too.
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I'll take it but he should be in the 70/1000 yd club by now.
 
chevss454 said:
I'll take it but he should be in the 70/1000 yd club by now.
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Yeah, but Cam did have a Welkeresque type security blanket fascination with Steve Smith that may have prevented LaFell from getting those types of targets. I don't know.

I think he'll do pretty well for us and I'm happy that we have a guy who won't be afraid to go up and fight for the ball a bit.
 
Hope this will put some of the questions about him to rest.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/

Scouts view: Brandon LaFell
March, 17, 2014
MAR 17
5:00
AM ET
By Field Yates | ESPNBoston.com

On Saturday night, the Patriots agreed to a three-year deal with free-agent wide receiver Brandon LaFell, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.


LaFell
Below is a scouting report after film study from over the weekend on LaFell.

Alignment: Though 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, LaFell often worked from the slot while with Carolina. The team ran a sufficient dose of “21” personnel, meaning there was just two wide receivers on the field. LaFell and veteran Steve Smith worked well in harmony on two-man route combinations. LaFell was not limited exclusively to the slot, though he presented a Marques Colston-like feel in the slot due to their similar size.

Strengths: LaFell has excellent size for the position and very good body control. He can torque his body to bend and make difficult catches, and has very good field awareness. He ran what looked like reliable routes in Carolina and is a pluck-and-snatch catcher, not allowing the ball to come to his body. His unique length allows him to be an effective blocker on the edge and down the field. He has enough suddenness to break off his routes against off-man coverage.

Limitations: LaFell has the size to be physically dominant, but does not play a powerful game. There were instances in the game against New England last season that he was knocked off his spot against Alfonzo Dennard, a player who is close to four inches shorter than he is. He has sufficient speed for the position, but is not a burner.

Patriots thoughts: From a pure build standpoint, LaFell has some Aaron Dobson in him. But while Dobson holds the speed and upside edge, LaFell is more sturdily built and played a different role in Carolina. Given the presence of Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and even Josh Boyce, LaFell may wind up playing more of a perimeter receiving role. His size, field awareness on the sideline, and ability to use his reach to out leverage defenders make him a possibility to start at the “X” or split end position.
 
David Givens NFL Combine Results

player Info

height: 73 inches

Weight: 217 pounds

arm Length:(N/A) inches

Hand Size:(N/A) inches

position: WR

College: Notre Dame

Draft Class: 2002

Measurables

40 Yard Dash: 4.56 seconds

20 Yard Dash: 2.59 seconds

10 Yard Dash:1.57 seconds

Bench Press: (N/A) reps (225 lb)

Wonderlic: (N/A) (0-50)

Vertical Leap: 40.5 inches

Broad Jump:126 inches

20 Yd Shuttle: 4.13 seconds

Three Cone: 6.82 seconds

60 Yd Shuttle:(N/A) seconds


David Givens was drafted by the New England Patriots in Round 7 with the #253 overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Brandon LaFell NFL Combine Results
Player Info



Height: 75 inches

Weight: 211 pounds

Arm Length: (N/A) inches

Hand Size: (N/A) inches

Position: WR

College: Louisiana State

Draft Class: 2010

Measurables

40 Yard Dash: 4.58 seconds

20 Yard Dash: 2.68 seconds

10 Yard Dash: 1.55 seconds

Bench Press: (N/A) reps (225 lb)

Wonderlic:(N/A) (0-50)

Vertical Leap: 36.0 inches

Broad Jump: 115 inches

20 Yd Shuttle: 4.23 seconds

Three Cone: 6.81 seconds

60 Yd Shuttle: (N/A) seconds


Brandon LaFell was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in Round 3 with the #78 overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
 
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