Lloyd is a great fit for Patriots

The New England Patriots added another offensive weapon on Saturday night, signing wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to a three-year deal. There are three reasons why signing with the Patriots is a perfect move for both parties.

Reason No. 1: Lloyd has a history of being extraordinarily productive in a Josh McDaniels offense

To get an idea of just how dominant Lloyd can be on vertical routes (defined as passes thrown 11 or more yards downfield), let's compare his 2010 vertical numbers against the vertical numbers posted by Randy Moss in his record-setting 2007 season. (Note: These totals include penalty plays such as pass interference, illegal contact, etc.)

2007 Moss: 98 vertical targets, 1,124 vertical yards, 11.5 vertical yards per attempt (VYPA), 17 touchdowns

2010 Lloyd: 110 vertical targets, 1,403 vertical yards, 12.8 VYPA, nine touchdowns

Moss has a significant lead in touchdowns, but in every other vertical metric comparison, Lloyd's 2010 campaign topped Moss' 2007 totals.

To read more about why Brandon Lloyd is a great signing for the New England Patriots, plus to get access to all of Insider's NFL coverage, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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KC Joyner

NFL Insider

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• NFL and CFB analyst for ESPN Insider
• Known as "The Football Scientist"
• Uses proprietary metrics from game tape study