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Former Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Lloyd signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears yesterday. He’ll be reunited with his former college coach from the University of Illinois, Ron Turner, who is the Bears’ offensive coordinator.
Brandon was one of my favorite receivers during his time with the Niners. He made some of the most spectacular catches I’ve ever seen in three solid years there that had me believing he was going to be a superstar in the Bay area. His best season was in ‘05 when he had 48 catches for 733 yards and five TDs. Then, mysteriously, the team dealt him to Washington where he had a decent ‘06 (about 16 ypc) but did next to nothing in a 2007 season that ended early with a broken collarbone. The word in San Fran was that he had rubbed some of the 49ers vets the wrong way, thus his exit. I don’t believe he’s a problem in the locker room. He’s an artist (rapper) and somewhat of a free spirit. But I think he’s a good teammate. I interviewed him his last season with the Niners and found him to be a gracious and polite person during our talk. Upon signing with Chicago yesterday, Brandon said:

“The best thing I can do for myself is just come in and work. That’s not anything I haven’t done. I’m not going to sit here and say that it’s all my fault, and I’m not going to say that it’s all somebody else’s fault. The circumstances just weren’t right, and I’m just going to continue to try to find my fit, find my path in this league, because I feel I have the talent to play.”

That’s true. He absolutely does have the talent to play in this league. But I guess the bottom line in this deal is that Brandon probably won’t have a great 2008 because the Bears still have quarterback issues (among other personnel problems). Neither Rex Grossman nor Kyle Orton (who are in an open competition for the Bears’ starting QB job in ‘08) has proven they are ready to lead an NFL team on a regular basis. The fact that Rex still has a job proves just how hard it is to find a quality QB in the NFL. I think Brandon could’ve resurrected his career in places like New England, Indianapolis or Pittsburgh (where established QBs lead their teams and throw the ball a lot), but Chi-town probably won’t be the answer for BLloyd. If he can stay healthy and be productive, it’ll be a worthwhile audition for a better team in ‘09.
Tags: Brandon Lloyd, Chicago Bears, Kyle Orton, Rex-GrossmanShare This
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