Brandon Lloyd

Apparently Lloyd isn't a threat to supplant Gisele in Tom Brady's life. What seemed like a promising pairing never entirely jelled, and Lloyd finished last year with meager 12.3 YPC and 7.0 YPT averages while playing in one of the league's elite passing offenses. As a result, Lloyd was cut and at press time is a free agent. At 32, Lloyd's best days are almost certainly behind him, but he's still a skilled route runner with good hands and the ability to change directions at full speed. At 6-0, 188, he's not much of a red-zone threat, and he's unlikely to be anything but a No. 2 or No. 3 option at this point. Chances are he'll catch on somewhere this summer, and his value will depend on where he lands.

After coming out of nowhere to lead the NFL in receiving yards two years ago, Lloyd went from a bad situation in Denver last season to a far worse one in St. Louis. Even so, by year’s end, Lloyd had 70 catches for 966 yards and five scores in 15 games. At 6-0, 188, Lloyd isn’t especially physical, and while he has good long speed, it’s his rare ability to change directions without slowing down that makes him such a tough cover. Lloyd has good hands and adjusts to the ball in the air as well as any receiver. After signing with the Patriots in March, Lloyd goes from arguably the league’s worst passing environment to one of its best. With Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez likely to dominate the targets from in close, and Wes Welker Tom Brady’s prime look on shorter routes, it’s unlikely Lloyd approaches last year’s 148 targets. But there’s a lot to go around in New England’s passing game, and Lloyd looks like Brady’s top downfield target on the outside, a role that still holds plenty of value.

If you're searching for the next Jose Bautista, look no further than Brandon Lloyd. Seriously, you have to switch sports to find any remotely applicable comp for a player who after a pedestrian career inexplicably exploded at age 29. In fact, Lloyd led all receivers in fantasy scoring, thanks to a league-leading 1,448 receiving yards, 59 more than Roddy White who had 26 more targets. That's because Lloyd averaged 18.8 YPC (1st) and 9.5 YPT, second only to Greg Jennings among 100-target receivers. At 6-0, 185, Lloyd has just average size, and while he has good speed, it's his ability to change directions without slowing down that helped him separate so consistently last year. Lloyd has good hands – just four drops – and adjusts to the ball in the air exceptionally well. Lloyd wasn't used a ton from in close (17 red-zone targets, 6 from inside the 10), but he hauled in six passes of 40-yards plus and 11 scores. Perhaps the biggest issues facing Lloyd are who his quarterback will be and new head coach John Fox taking over for Josh McDaniels. Lloyd was Kyle Orton's favorite target last year, although with Tebow under center for the last three games of the year, Lloyd managed 14 catches for 263 yards and two scores, numbers right in line with his season totals. Early in camp, it looks like Orton will be the starter again in 2011, which should be great news for Lloyd.

Lloyd should have an opportunity to get on the field in 2010 due to the lack of star power on the Broncos' wide receiver depth chart. While he will have to compete with Eddie Royal, Jabbar Gaffney, Brandon Stokley and rookies Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, Lloyd veteran presence and hard work could help him garner more targets in 2010.

Lloyd has shown flashes of greatness during his six year career, but has not been able to put a full season together worthy of fantasy consideration. The Broncos brought him in to add depth at wide receiver, but he will most likely not see many balls thrown his way given the other options such as Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler or any of the five running backs on the depth chart.

There were very few teams Lloyd could sign with this past offseason where he could step in and immediately have a chance to start. Enter the Bears, who would probably be willing to give Curtis Conway a shot to start in 2008. Lloyd currently projects as the starter opposite Marty Booker, but he'll have to hold off Devin Hester and Earl Bennett. Even if he does, with the Bears' passing game appearing to be as anemic as ever, Lloyd has no fantasy relevance.

Disappointment is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Lloyd's 2006 season. Not that it was too surprising. Lloyd is known for being a head case and causing problems in the locker room. He caught only 23 passes and failed to find the end zone. He was benched toward the end of the season for cause of his behavior. He will compete for a starting wideout job with Antwaan Randle El but if the Skins are unhappy with him again this year do not be surprised if he is released at years end.

Despite missing the better part of one game with a neck injury and playing hurt in several others with ankle, hip, back and toe ailments, Lloyd was the one spark in the 49ers otherwise dismal passing game. While Lloyd caught just 44 percent of the targets thrown his way (second worst in the NFL), he averaged 15.3 yards per catch and made several highlight-reel plays. Some ill (well?)-timed comments about his teammates’ ineptitude got him shipped to Washington where he’s likely to start opposite Santana Moss. Lloyd, Moss and Redskins third wideout, Antwaan Randle El, lack size (though Lloyd is 6-0, he weighs just 184), but have an abundance of quickness, and it looks as though coach Joe Gibbs is trying to reprise the days of Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Art Monk in the early 90s. Lloyd doesn’t have Moss’s elusiveness and he’s not a physical type who can come down with the ball in traffic, but he’s capable of making plays down the field and uses his height and leaping ability to go over defensive backs when the ball is in the air.

Someone’s got to catch passes in San Francisco, and with last year’s first-round draft pick Rashaun Woods in the doghouse and Curtis Conway and Cedrick Wilson out the door, Lloyd is far and away the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver heading into the season. Lloyd isn’t a burner, but he’s got good hands and is willing to go over the middle to catch the ball in traffic. At 6-0, 184 pounds, Lloyd’s not going to overpower defensive backs, but he’s strong enough to get off the line of scrimmage consistently.

Lloyd, a playmaker with deceptive speed, has a good chance to begin the season as the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver. After all, the team’s former “scout” Terrell Owens anointed Lloyd as his replacement before departing for Philadelphia. Lloyd did show good hands, though he struggled to get open (just 47 percent of the 30 passes thrown his way were completed), though that’s probably too small of a sample from which to draw any major conclusions.

Lloyd impressed the team in mini-camp with his deceptive speed and has a shot to be the 49ers #3 receiver.