Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd became an effective weapon in St. Louis Rams' passing offense after joining the team in a mid-season trade, but Sam Bradford may have to find a new weapon for next season. Lloyd is an unrestricted free agent, and has expressed a desire to follow former Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who joined the staff of the New England Patriots for the playoffs after being let go by St. Louis.
Lloyd led the Rams with 51 receptions for 683 yards and five touchdowns despite only playing in 11 games for the team. He recently signed on with a new agent, Tom Condon of CAA, but the Patriots have not worked well in negotiations with Condon in the past. Although Condon's presence may complicate the matter, here is what Lloyd had to say to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about his pending unrestricted free agency back in December:
I'm tied to McDaniels. He uses me differently than other offensive coordinators used me in my entire career. He uses me as an every-play receiver. The short game, mid-range game, gimmick passes, deep balls. I do everything in this offense as opposed to other coordinators who would just run me off as the deep guy; run me off into double coverage and then say I'm not open. So I really like how Josh uses me within the offense. I'm extremely comfortable in the offense.
McDaniels returned praise on that same day, saying he has grown closer to Lloyd than other players he has worked with and enjoys coaching with him because he plays hard and gives the team a chance to win. If Lloyd leaves do the Rams target Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon in the 2012 NFL Draft? Do the Rams pony up the money to keep Lloyd despite his previous issues with staying motivated on the field? Stay tuned for updates as the free agency action kicks off.
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