Tom Brady appears to be finding his new favorite wide receiver in the third week of training camp. The quarterback was forced to make something out of nothing last season when the New England Patriots lost Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski for periods of time, the Patriots did not make up their absences with much. However, this year is a different story and Brady is loving the recent additions.
Brady might have Julian Edelman back on offense after the wide receiver became the breakout star for New England last season, but it is a free agent signing that has gotten all of his attention. Brandon LaFell signed on in the offseason after a successful stint with the Carolina Panthers. He was meant to be depth after players like Danny Amendola struggled all of last season despite his high-paying contract. Now, LaFell is putting roster spots in jeopardy.
"I've really enjoyed being with him," Brady said, the CSNNE.com. "He's added a lot. He's got a real love for the game, and he does a great job out there getting open. He just keeps making more plays. It's really fun for a quarterback to see guys out there really working hard to make the improvements and then really do it, and hopefully it continues to carry over. It's been a lot of fun to be with him."
Brady favors LaFell simply because of his size. Of all of the receivers for New England, LaFell is one of the tallest and has become a guaranteed playmaker for Brady. This is something he needs. Yes, Edelman is back, but the quarterback has little trust in Amendola. The wide receiver earned a big contract last offseason and repaid the Patriots by getting injured and not developing any chemistry with Brady. However, the quarterback remained very correct when it came to discussing the offense to the media.
"And Julian [Edelman] and Danny [Amendola] - [it's the] same thing," Brady said. "[Kebrell Thompkins] has been making a bunch of plays. All those guys who have been out there are great. The offensive line keeps building, and they're really the strength of our team. I've got a lot of confidence in our group, but we've just got to go out and keep doing it, keep making improvements and learn from our mistakes, and then go out and execute when it matters."
Julian Edelman is a guaranteed starter for New England and it appears that LaFell is too. Thompkins has gotten the praise of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels which makes him guaranteed a lot of playing time. But what about Amendola and Aaron Dobson? Amendola has faced trade rumors for most of his time in New England and if he fails to step up in training camp, he could be hearing them again come the mid-season trading period. Dobson is recovering from injury which could push him out as well. New England is hungry for another Super Bowl run and if neither of these players can help, the team will seek out trades. Financially, the moves do not make sense. Dobson is in his first contract and trading Amendola will end up costing the Patriots more money than not, but if either player is wasting a roster spot, something will be done.
