Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; twide receiver Brandon Lloyd (85) catches a pass as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cary Williams (29) defends in the second quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, the San Francisco 49ers signed a familiar face to a one year contract. Brandon Lloyd was drafted by the 49ers in the fourth round of the 2003 draft and then spent three decent years on the team until he was traded to the Washington Redskins. He has bounced around the league for most of his career, and it only seems fitting that he would end up where he started.
Lloyd has always had some question marks about him. While talented, throughout his career he has gotten a reputation as a kind of a head case. A few rumors have surfaced about Lloyd being a bad teammate or just an overall unpleasant guy to work with. So why would the 49ers bring in someone like this? What does he have that can help the team?
Lloyd last played with the New England Patriots in 2012 and he had a pretty good year with Tom Brady throwing him the ball. He caught 74 passes for 931 yards and four touchdowns. When the 49ers played the Patriots that year, Lloyd had a great game with 10 catches for 190 yards. Games like that are the reason why he is now playing for the 49ers.
The 49ers saw first hand of what Lloyd is capable of doing. Even though he is 32 years old, Lloyd still has enough in the tank to make a contribution. With Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, and Vernon Davis all taking the majority of the focus, Lloyd has the ability to hurt defenses.
With all the rest of the weapons that the 49ers have on offense, Lloyd has the ability to shine. If he was signed as a number one option, then the tone of this article and other 49ers’ fans might be different. But since he’ll most likely be coming as the number three option, he is a great option for Colin Kaepernick to have.
If Brandon Lloyd can play all 16 games, he could have a decent impact on the offense. Last year the 49ers struggled at the wide receiver with both injuries and just a lack of talent. This year, they are making sure that doesn’t happen again. Up until Michael Crabtree returned last year, fullback Bruce Miller was the third leading receiver on the team. The 49ers do not want that happening again, and that is where Lloyd comes in. If he and Kaepernick can develop any type of rapport, the 49ers’ passing attack will be very deadly.