The Bengals will be hosting wide receiver Brandon LaFell on a free agent visit, reports Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s the first update we’ve heard on LaFell since he was cut by the Patriots two weeks ago.
LaFell, 29, spent the first six weeks of the 2015 season on the PUP list due to a foot injury, and although he played in the rest of the Patriots’ games, he never looked quite right. For the season, he caught 37 balls for 515 yards, and failed to reach an end zone.
LaFell’s performance in 2015 represented a significant step down from his 2014 showing. He was a key part of New England’s Super Bowl team in that season, setting career highs with 74 receptions, 953 yards, and seven touchdowns. He added another two TDs in the postseason, including one in the Super Bowl.
If LaFell could even split the difference between his 2014 and 2015 campaigns, he’d represent a nice addition for the Bengals, who lost the second and third wideouts on their depth chart this month. The team still has A.J. Green, who is locked up through 2019, but Marvin Jones is now a Lion, while Mohamed Sanu landed with the Falcons. As such, Cincinnati is in the market for additional pass-catchers to complement Green and tight end Tyler Eifert.
No Bengals wide receiver besides Green, Jones, and Sanu caught more than two passes in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.