Moving to Foxborough might just be the best thing to happen to Brandon LaFell in his young career.
Playing with a quarterback like Tom Brady is obviously a blessing for a young wide receiver. However, just like any pass-catcher moving into a new offense, getting an early connection down with the signal-caller--regardless of who he is--is goal No. 1 during camp.
Insert LaFell, who, for the first time since you-know-who, offers the Patriots a legitimate presence in the aerial attack outside of the hashes.
Insert LaFell, who, for the first time since you-know-who, offers the Patriots a legitimate presence in the aerial attack outside of the hashes.
LaFell knows this, and the fifth-year receiver realizes he needs to do his part to give something Brady has not had in quite some time.
"He expects you to be exactly where he wants you to be when running a route," LaFell said this week, via ESPN Boston. "Not a yard off, not a yard too deep, not a yard too short. He expects you to be exactly where he wants you to be because he's going to put the ball placement exactly right."
Tom Brady expects perfection. Can you blame him?
"The more and more reps I get with this guy, getting our timing better and also he's trying to find me more," LaFell said.
Coach Bill Belichick see this two, acknowledging, "Whatever we've asked him to do, he's done it and done it well. He's gotten better at it. I think he'll be able to carve out a role for himself here. It might be a big one, I don't know, we'll see."
It will be interesting to observe LaFell's performance this Friday night when the Carolina Panthers, the team he spent his first four seasons of his career with, come to town.
The 6-foot-3 LaFell said Brady's attention to detail, and perfecting the quarterback-to-wide-receiver connection, is one of his main challenges in coming to New England. LaFell has the chance to show off his progress against the team that decided not to re-sign him this past offseason.
"It's going to be a little weird, just going out there and seeing some of my old teammates, looking at those jerseys knowing I was just in those jerseys last year," LaFell said. "But I got to do my job."
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"He expects you to be exactly where he wants you to be when running a route," LaFell said this week, via ESPN Boston. "Not a yard off, not a yard too deep, not a yard too short. He expects you to be exactly where he wants you to be because he's going to put the ball placement exactly right."
Tom Brady expects perfection. Can you blame him?
"The more and more reps I get with this guy, getting our timing better and also he's trying to find me more," LaFell said.
Coach Bill Belichick see this two, acknowledging, "Whatever we've asked him to do, he's done it and done it well. He's gotten better at it. I think he'll be able to carve out a role for himself here. It might be a big one, I don't know, we'll see."
It will be interesting to observe LaFell's performance this Friday night when the Carolina Panthers, the team he spent his first four seasons of his career with, come to town.
The 6-foot-3 LaFell said Brady's attention to detail, and perfecting the quarterback-to-wide-receiver connection, is one of his main challenges in coming to New England. LaFell has the chance to show off his progress against the team that decided not to re-sign him this past offseason.
"It's going to be a little weird, just going out there and seeing some of my old teammates, looking at those jerseys knowing I was just in those jerseys last year," LaFell said. "But I got to do my job."
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Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily
