NFL Free Agency: Brandon Lloyd Landing in New England Is a Possibility

Brandon Lloyd's most productive season in the NFL came in 2010, his second year in Josh McDaniels' offense. 

Lloyd played in all 16 games that season with the Denver Broncos, as he reeled in 77 passes for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns—all of which were career highs for Lloyd. 

During his Monday interview with Mike Florio on ProFootballTalk Live, he shed some light on the possibility of signing with the New England Patriots as he'd be reuniting with his former head coach and New England's current offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. 

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I would like to entertain that [signing with New England] and see where that goes. There’s no bones about that. I’ve been very successful in Josh McDaniels’ offense, I really admire Tom Brady, I admire that organization and how they run things over there, so I’d definitely be interested in hearing how I could possibly fit into that equation.

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Lloyd is certainly going to keep all of his options open, as free agency has yet to begin. It's set to open at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13. 

As of right now, the St. Louis Rams could certainly step in and attempt to make a long-term contract offer, and if all else fails, they may feel inclined to use their franchise tag on him so he can be brought back as Sam Bradford's No. 1 wide receiver—but I would assume Lloyd would not be happy about the tag. 

For the Patriots, Bill Belichick and his crew sit in a nice situation with Lloyd, as they can offer an environment that is comfortable to him, as well as an offensive system that he's flourished in and could ultimately produce All-Pro caliber numbers with Tom Brady. 

If money is not an issue, then the Patriots are certainly the favorites—but let's be realistic: Money will be an issue. However, it is encouraging that if both the Rams and the Patriots offer similar type contracts, the Patriots could hold the edge, as Lloyd will be reunited with McDaniels. 

With Wes Welker and Deion Branch set to become free agents this offseason, there's no question that the Patriots will have to address their wide receiver position.

I think that we can all agree that New England will do whatever it takes to retain Welker, as they'll franchise tag him if all else fails and they'll have to bring back Branch, but ultimately could use an upgrade, and that could be the likes of Lloyd. 

With the 2012 NFL offseason still very young, the chances of New England landing Lloyd are definitely promising. 

Be sure to check out Tony Santorsa's blog: PatriotsPlus