McDaniels: Lloyd is smart, dependable, durable

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By Tom E. Curran

FOXBORO - There's been a "getting the band back together" vibe to the 2012 Patriots offseason moves on offense.

Whether bringing back former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in January or adding Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney as free agents, the Pats are dredging up a lot of familiar faces are turning up.

Brandon Lloyd would be better described as a "new to you" player, though. The wide receiver that signed a three-year, 12 million deal in March has never been a Patriot but he's played two seasons for McDaniels.

And Lloyd's been off-the-charts explosive - 147 catches, close to 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns on bad teams in Denver and St. Louis.

On Friday, McDaniels lauded Lloyd when asked why he works so well with the wideout.

"Brandon is a really likeable person, first of all," said McDaneils. "Hes a smart player. Hesbeen dependable. Hes been durable. I think you take it year by year, and I hadan opportunity to form a relationship with him as a coach and a player, andhes a guy who kind of took to our system, and gave us an opportunity to dosome really good things.

"The players are really the people that deserve thecredit," McDaniels added. "Its not our system. They really are the ones that make it successfuland hes had some success in it and well hope that he can continue that.

McDaniels has a specific understanding of what Lloyd can bring because of their shared time together when Lloyd was head coach in Denver and then - after McDaniels was fired and latched on with the Rams - when Lloyd joined him there.

"He gives us an outsidereceiver to compete with a lot of the guys that we have here which is going tobe an exciting thing for us to watch and see how it all develops, because wehave some guys that can do some different things," McDaniels noted. "Brandon is certainly a guywho is familiar with our system, first of all. He understands what we ask ofthe receiver position. Hes brought a skill set on the outside, on theperimeter, that has definitely been helpful to the offenses that Ive had apart in the last few years. How he fits in, and what we end up doing with himalong with the other receiving corps, well find out as we go through thespring and the summer. Im excited to have an opportunity to coach him again."

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