Brandon LaFell - Pro Football Rumors

WR Brandon LaFell Not Ready To Retire

December 27th, 2018 at 3:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Veteran Brandon LaFell suffered a torn Achilles back in mid-November, but the receiver doesn’t believe that the injury will end his career. Speaking to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders wideout made it clear that he’ll retire on his own terms.

“I’m definitely coming back,” LaFell said. “I’m leaving on my own terms. I’m not leaving like this. I’ll be back. I’ll definitely be back.”

Of course, it remains to be seen if the 32-year-old will be able to garner any interest on the free agent market. LaFell estimated that he’ll be fully recovered by the time June rolls around, which should mean he’ll be fully healthy for training camp. Of course, that recovery could take longer than expected, and it’s unlikely a team’s going to take a chance on the receiver until he can prove that he’s back to full strength.

Despite starting five of his six games, LaFell saw a reduced role during his cameo in Oakland. The wideout ended up hauling in 12 of his 16 targets, compiling 135 yards and two scores. The veteran didn’t earn enough snaps to earn a spot on Pro Football Focus‘ ranking of the league’s wide receivers, but his score would have place him in the bottom-half of the league. The six-foot-three receiver is now four seasons removed from his 953-yard campaign with New England back in 2014, although he did compile 862 receiving yards with the Bengals in 2016.

Raiders WR Brandon LaFell Out For Season

November 18th, 2018 at 9:37pm CST by Micah Powell

The Raiders’ depleted receiving corps got a little thinner on Sunday after veteran wideout Brandon LaFell tore his Achilles vs. the Cardinals, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

A nine-year veteran, LaFell served as a solid No. 2 or 3 receiver on a handful of squads, most recently with Cincinnati before signing with the Raiders in 2018. LaFell emerged as a serviceable pass catcher in his short time with Oakland, logging at least three grabs in three consecutive games. He posted two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown prior to the injury. He finished the 2018 season with 13 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

With Amari Cooper traded to Dallas, and Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant both sidelined with knee injuries, the Raiders depth at receiver has dwindled down to veteran Seth Roberts and rookie Marcell Ateman. Should Nelson and Bryant remain out, the Raiders will likely look to bring in a veteran during the week.

Raiders Sign WR Brandon LaFell

September 3rd, 2018 at 11:34am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Raiders are signing wide receiver Brandon LaFell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapoport says it’s a one-year deal “with upside”, noting “there was a need after Martavis Bryant was released.” LaFell was released by the Bengals last month. At the time, LaFell’s agent said he had been asking for his release from the Bengals due to unhappiness with his role.

LaFell spent two seasons as the number two receiver in Cincinnati, with varying success. After compiling 64 catches for 862 yards and six touchdowns in 2016, LaFell had just 52 grabs for 548 yards and three scores last year. A week after his release, it was reported that the Browns might have some interest, but nothing ever came of it and his market has been quiet since.

As Rapsheet points out, the Raiders were in need of a veteran receiver after Bryant was cut due to an impending suspension. Oakland gave up a third round pick for Bryant, who ended up never playing a down for the team, and they’ll look to replace some of his expected production with LaFell. LaFell will turn 32 in November, and is another aging piece added to this veteran Raiders team. His best season came with the Patriots in 2014, when he caught 74 passes for 953 yards and seven touchdowns.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Bridgewater, Patriots, Dolphins

August 26th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are some assorted notes from around the AFC as we wrap up the weekend…

The Broncos will have two major roster questions to answer prior to Saturday’s roster cut-down deadline, opines Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post. First, the team has to figure out what to do with injured safety Su’a Cravens. The defensive back hasn’t practice since early August due to knee soreness, and he hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since late 2016. O’Halloran wonders if the team will have the roster space or patience to stash Cravens again. Meanwhile, the team will also have to decide on quarterback Paxton Lynch, who was recently demoted for Chad Kelly. The writer wonders whether the Broncos would rather keep the former first-rounder, replace him with a veteran backup, or roll with two quarterbacks for the start of the season.
Unless they receive an offer they can’t refuse, ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes the Jets should hold on to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The team should be focused on maintaining their depth, and the writer believes the signal-caller has more value to the team as a backup than a trade chip. If the Jets accept an offer that doesn’t include a third-rounder or better, Cimini believes it’d be a mistake. The writer also looks at several former Jets draft picks who are on the roster bubble, including linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, wide receivers Charone Peake and Chad Hansen, and cornerback Juston Burris.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss can’t envision the Patriots adding wideout Dez Bryant. While the team could certainly use some reinforcement at the position (especially following Eric Decker‘s decision to retire), the writer question whether Bryant would be able to fit into the culture or system. If the team did want to add another wideout to their roster, Reiss believes that free agent (and former Patriot) Brandon LaFell would be a more logical target. Even in that case, the writer can’t see the team making a move unless there’s an injury at the position.
While the pairing of David Fales and Brock Osweiler may be relatively underwhelming, Dolphins coach Adam Gase isn’t expecting to add another backup quarterback behind Ryan Tannehill. While the coach would like to see some improvement from his co-second-stringers, he’s not concerned about their lackluster preseasons. “I think there’s room for improvement for sure,” Gase said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com), “but it’s hard to put it all on them when you get the ball and you’re not expecting it or we’re not blocking the guys. That’s why it’s hard to evaluate quarterbacks sometimes in preseason games and you have to use all your practice time and what you know about guys’ history, and that’s what makes it tough to evaluate them sometimes.”

Browns Interested In WR Brandon LaFell?

August 7th, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns may have renewed interest in Brandon LaFell, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. The wide receiver was released by the Bengals last week, freeing him up to sign with any club.

LaFell was the Bengals’ No. 2 WR for the last two years, but his production tailed off a bit last season. After compiling 64 catches for 862 yards and six touchdowns in 2016, LaFell had just 52 grabs for 548 yards and three scores in 2017. Then, this summer, he started “feeling the heat” from other wideouts in camp this summer, according to coach Marvin Lewis. With other options to consider, including speedy 2017 first-round pick John Ross, the Bengals no longer had any use for LaFell.

LaFell had a tremendous 2014 season with the Patriots as he set career highs with 74 receptions, 953 yards, and seven touchdowns. He added another two TDs in the postseason, including one in the Super Bowl.

Few are expecting LaFell to reprise that kind of production in 2018, but he could be an option for the Browns as they sort out Josh Gordon‘s situation. The Browns could also use some additional depth following the trade of former first-round pick Corey Coleman.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Manziel, LaFell

August 2nd, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel is back. Sort of. On Friday night, the former Browns quarterback will make his first CFL start with his new club, the Montreal Alouettes.

“I feel fortunate enough this week to be going against a team, a defense that I’ve seen more than any other defense since I’ve been in the CFL,” Manziel told reporters as he prepares to face his former team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (via TSN). “I feel like I really know this personnel very well, I feel like I know this team in and out because I was a part of it.”

Manziel, of course, is hoping to impress on the elongated CFL field and return to the NFL. It remains to be seen whether he’ll get another chance south of the border, but NFL evaluators will certainly be keeping a watchful eye on his performance.

Here’s a look at the AFC North:

Brandon LaFell‘s agent says that his client asked to be released from the Bengals, but a team source says that the decision was not made based on LaFell’s desire to play elsewhere, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. It sounds like the source had not heard of any such request by LaFell, but even if the wide receiver asked to be let go, it’s doubtful such a request would have been granted anyway. The source told Terrell that the move was made to give the club’s young receivers more reps.
The Browns are trying All-Pro guard Joel Bitonio at left tackle, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Recently, Browns offensive line coach Bob Wylie said playing Bitonio at left tackle was the club’s “Plan Z.” Apparently, it only took a matter of days for the team to work its way through the alphabet. If the Browns opt to use Bitonio on the outside in September, it will probably result in Shon Coleman going to the bench with No. 33 overall pick Austin Corbett starting at left guard. Alternatively, one has to wonder if the Browns will explore external tackle options in order to keep Bitonio at his natural position.
No one will confuse Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson for a Mr. Universe contestant, but the Louisville product says that he is not planning on gaining a significant amount of weight.
The Steelers recently learned that guard Ramon Foster will not require surgery to fix his knee.

Bengals Release WR Brandon LaFell

August 2nd, 2018 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals released wide receiver Brandon LaFell, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). LaFell’s agent tells Garafolo that the receiver has been pushing for his release “for some time now” and is grateful to have been freed from his contract.

The transaction will allow LaFell, a vested veteran, to sign with any team. As the Patriots get set to move on from Jordan Matthews, one can’t help but wonder if a reunion could be in the cards for LaFell. Then again, Thursday’s signing of Eric Decker could take LaFell out of consideration.

LaFell has been the Bengals’ No. 2 WR for the last two years, but his production tailed off a bit last season. After compiling 64 catches for 862 yards and six touchdowns in 2016, LaFell had just 52 grabs for 548 yards and three scores last year.

Meanwhile, he started “feeling the heat” from other wideouts in camp this summer, according to coach Marvin Lewis. That includes 2017 first-round pick John Ross, which is good news for the Bengals but probably meant a reduced role for LaFell.

The Bengals appear set to head into 2018 with A.J. Green and Ross as their top receivers. After that, they have a young group pushing for playing time including Tyler Boyd, Josh Malone, Cody Core, rookie Auden Tate, and Alex Erickson.

AFC Notes: Bengals, Raiders, Broncos

July 6th, 2017 at 7:30pm CST by Zachary Links

You’re not likely to see the Bengals drop Brandon LaFell from the roster, Katherine Terrelle of ESPN.com tweets. While there is lots of young talent at wide receiver, cutting LaFell would require a $3MM+ dead money hit just after re-signing him this year. He also has a strong mentor/mentee relationship with A.J. Green that coaches do not want to bust up. The Bengals have Green, speedy rookie John Ross, Tyler Boyd, LaFell, and fourth-round pick Josh Malone as their top five receivers. Youngsters Cody Core, Alex Erickson, Jake Kumerow, and Chris Brown are left to fight for a spot that may or may not be available.

Bengals To Re-Sign Brandon LaFell

March 8th, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals and veteran wide receiver Brandon LaFell agreed on a deal one day before the official start of free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a two-year accord, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll get $9MM worth of base pay over the life of the deal, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (via Twitter).

The 30-year-old wideout rebounded in 2016, hauling in 64 passes for 862 yards and six touchdowns. This helps keep A.J. Green‘s complementary crew together, along with Tyler Boyd and Tyler Eifert, after the Bengals lost both Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu in free agency last March.

LaFell indicated recently he wanted to return to Cincinnati, and he’ll get his wish. The Bills had interest in acquiring the eighth-year pass-catcher, but LaFell will sign his second Bengals contract and continue to work in the Andy Dalton-led offense. Last year, he signed for one year and $2.5MM. After rebuilding his value to some degree after an injury-plagued 2015 season, it will be interesting to see what LaFell earns on his most recent contract.

The bounce-back 2016 campaign doubled as the former Panthers draft choice’s second-most receiving yards in a season. The 2014 slate in which he functioned as one of Tom Brady‘s auxiliary targets represents LaFell’s best at 953 yards. But in Cincy last season — on a team that did not have Green and Eifert together for long — LaFell increased his yards-per-catch figure to 13.5 from his best NFL season.

Bills Interested In Brandon LaFell

March 8th, 2017 at 2:47pm CST by Ben Levine

With Tyrod Taylor seemingly returning to the Bills, the team is now looking to provide the quarterback with some weapons. According to Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com (via Twitter), the Bills have shown interest in free agent wideout Brandon LaFell. The writer notes that the veteran is a priority of the Bengals, and he adds that the Bears have also expressed interest.

The 30-year-old had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2016. The wideout hauled in 64 catches for 862 yards and six touchdowns. LaFell hasn’t collected less than 500 yards since his rookie campaign. The veteran joined the Bengals last offseason following two years with the Patriots.

The Bills depth chart at wideout is currently looking a bit depleted behind Sammy Watkins. The team’s current depth consists of Dezmin Lewis, Walt Powell, Kolby Listenbee, and Marcus Easley.

LaFell was mentioned as an honorable mention in our rankings of the best free agent wideouts.