Brandon Lloyd
Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe writes that Patriots WR Brandon Lloyd has “impressed all week” and is making an “easy transition to New England” during the teams’ OTAs.
This isn’t exactly all that surprising when you consider that Lloyd has been playing in Josh McDaniels system for the last two years.
“I’m familiar with the nuances of the offense, so that definitely helps with the transition,” said Lloyd.
The Patriots are obviously hoping that he play at the level that he did two seasons ago with the Broncos when he led the NFL in receptions.
Deion Branch
Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston mentions that there’s been a “general cooling” regarding WR Deion Branch in recent weeks.
Reiss isn’t suggesting that he won’t make the Patriots 53-man roster, but there’s at least a decent chance that New England could elect to go with one of the other receivers that they brought in.
Matt Slater
Mike Reiss sees WR Matt Slater as a lock to make the Patriots 53-man roster, because of his ability to contribute on special teams.
Reiss mentions that Jabar Gaffney and Julian Edelman both have decent shot to make the team as well, but it’s still too early to say for certain.
This doesn’t bode well for Chad Ochocinco, who has reportedly been struggling, despite the fact that this is his second-year with the Patriots.
Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen
Mike Reiss believes that the Patriots will give “bulk of the work” to RBs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen next season, even with the recent signing of Joseph Addai.
Reiss refers to Addai as an “insurance” back, which makes sense considering that he’s struggled to stay and healthy and be effective in recent years. New England also has Danny Woodhead on the roster, so he should be used in third-down situations, similar to his previous role in year’s past.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
