NFL Trade Deadline: Projecting Brandon Lloyd's Stats with the St. Louis Rams

Brandon Lloyd's trade to St. Louis this week was a huge steal for the Rams. They were able to get a No. 1 target for their second-year quarterback and reunited Lloyd with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who he credits for his breakout season in 2010.

Last season, with the Denver Broncos, Lloyd caught 77 passes for an NFL-high 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 18.8 yards per catch and was second in the league with 72 first downs. Those are phenomenal numbers 

Through four games this season, Lloyd has 19 catches for 283 yards and no touchdowns, but much of that can be chalked up to Denver's shaky quarterback play. 

Sam Bradford finally has a target he can rely on. Lloyd is experienced, athletic and has fantastic hands. The move allows the Rams to take a lot of pressure off the oft-injured and inexperienced Danario Alexander. In addition, they can move tight end Lance Kendricks and receiver Greg Salas down on the totem pole in the receiving game. This will allow them to mature more slowly. 

Now that he has a solid quarterback throwing to him and his former head coach running a familiar system, expect Lloyd's numbers to shoot up. Bradford will look to him often. Don't be surprised if he targets Lloyd on 10 or so occasions per game. 

Lloyd's numbers should dramatically shoot up in his first few weeks with the Rams. He is a free agent after the season and St. Louis will want to figure out if he is worth a long-term deal as soon as possible. If he and Bradford click quickly, they should form a formidable duo.