Brandon LaFell's Quick Recovery Is Best-Case Scenario for Patriots Offense

With New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell missing from practice during the spring, one had to wonder how the Patriots offense would look at the start of the season.

Thanks to a quick recovery from whatever was ailing him, now we don't have to wonder.

LaFell was seen in a walking boot at a charity event shortly after the Patriots broke organized team activities and before they began minicamp. His absence led to increased snaps for wide receivers Brian Tyms and Aaron Dobson at practices. 

Both men had bright moments during camp, as they have in their respective NFL careers, but in a best-case scenario, neither one would be the go-to option on the perimeter at wide receiver. That's what LaFell had become in his short time with the Patriots.

Player	Tgt	Rec	Yds	TD
Julian Edelman	78	55	539	3
Brandon LaFell	63	37	422	5
Danny Amendola	25	15	158	3
Brian Tyms	6	4	39	0
Aaron Dobson	2	1	9	0

According to Pro Football Focus, LaFell was one of the Patriots' most frequently targeted receivers on passes outside the numbers on either side of the field. That should come as no surprise since LaFell ran a lower percentage of his routes from the slot than any other Patriots receiver who ran at least 25 routes besides Tyms (13 out of 84, 15.5 percent). 

This year's offense could be a little different from last year's, though, due to the presence of tight end Scott Chandler. Now, we could see a lot more of the two-tight end sets that ran rampant through New England's offense from 2010 to 2012, when Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were tearing defenses apart.

But even if the Gronkowski-Chandler duo gives a new look to the Patriots offense, LaFell will still be a huge part of that look. With the two tight ends doing a bulk of their work over the middle and down the seam, the Patriots will need to call on LaFell's talents for continued production on the perimeter. 

But the matters of who's running routes and at what alignment is secondary to who is throwing the ball. Whether it's Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo behind center in Week 1, LaFell makes both of their lives a lot easier. His presence on the field forces the defense to respect the entire width of the field, which has been a problem for the Patriots offense in past years when its wide receiver group featured a litany of slot receivers.

We're still in the dark regarding NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision on Brady's suspension—whether it will be reduced, removed or remain as it is. While the end result may take a while to come down, the immediate result is not out of the Patriots' hands.

There's a possibility that Brady's legal team could file for an injunction, and ESPN's Adam Schefter told The Dennis & Callahan Morning Show, via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com, that there's a growing belief in New England that Brady will be available Week 1.

"You file for a temporary injunction so that Brady can end up playing in the opener," Schefter said. "In talking to people who I have spoken to, and we will see how this plays out, there's a real chance that Tom Brady will end up playing in the opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers."

It took a few weeks for Brady and LaFell to build their chemistry, but once they did, they were like a proton and a neutron, forming a cohesive bond that was never broken. That bond could grow even tighter with another year together. 

Even if it's Garoppolo, though, LaFell isn't worried. He told Sirius XM NFL Radio, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com: 

"

I feel like studying behind Tom has been great for him. If we have to be without Tom for the first couple games, I'm pretty sure Tom will be in Jimmy's ear helping him prepare each and every way he can to go out here and lead this team. I think we have a great group of guys around him that will kind of take the pressure off Jimmy so he won't have to feel like he has to go out there and win the game himself… Everybody just has to up their level of play to help out.

"

LaFell's impact on the offense, and on the quarterbacks running it, should give offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels a reason to let out a sigh of relief that it appears he'll be 100 percent for training camp. 

Practice notes obtained first-hand.