Monday, February 4, 2013
Lloyd a cap casualty?
By Tim Kavanagh
In an effort to find themselves the type of deep threat at WR they hadn't enjoyed since Randy Moss' 2007-2009 span, the New England Patriots signed veteran Brandon Lloyd last offseason. Just one year later, he may be on the proverbial chopping block.
To be fair, Lloyd didn't have a bad season: he finished second on the team in receptions (74) and receiving yardage (911), adding four TDs. But as ESPNBoston.com scribe Mike Reiss explains, that's not the entire story:
Mike Reiss
Is Lloyd worth the cap hit?"Lloyd didn't miss a game for the Patriots this season despite working his way through a knee injury; he played 84.8 percent of the offensive snaps and finished with 74 receptions for 911 yards and four touchdowns. With that type of production, his standing on the 2013 roster wouldn't seem to be in question. But as is the case with most everything in the NFL, economics are a factor, too. Here are the key facts with Lloyd: He is due a $3 million bonus at some point in 2013, and has a base salary of $1.9 million. His salary cap charge is scheduled to be $4.5 million. Do the Patriots view Lloyd, his past production, and his future projection to be worth it? I'm interested to find out the answer, which might not come until after June 1, because I'm not sure it's a slam dunk."
