2011 Panther Player Recap - WR Brandon LaFell

People doubt this kid?

that, to me, is one of the single hardest things to find when you’re looking for receivers: Guys who can come back like that and make a catch out of an incompletion (or in that case, what looked like an easy pick). Lafell has done nothing but improve since his rookie year (remember the knock on him being his hands? lol), and whatever spark he was lacking in the offseason has clearly been lit now, because he got better as the season went on. I think there’s very good reason to believe we’ve finally landed our heir to Moose!

He and LaFell had almost equal stats and LaFell played one less game. Not to mention LaFell is better in run support. I love Gettis, but he didn’t “break out” any more than LaFell did in their rookie seasons.

2010

Gettis- 37 receptions, 508 yards, 13.7ypc, 3 TD.
Lafell- 38 receptions, 468 yards, 12.3ypc, 1 TD.

I’ve always called LaFell “Sticks”. It matches his number and describes what he does on the field (move the sticks).

I think LaFell has been a brilliant #2 WR. My only logic behind perhaps drafting Blackmon (if he falls to us somehow) is that I don’t see LaFell being #1 WR material. Smitty isn’t going to stick around forever, and I still think that if the opportunity presents itself in the draft to get a stud WR, we should take it. Not because LaFell sucks though.

But the guy is clutch as hell.

How many times did you see or if the camera wasn’t near him hear on a run play Lafell got a great block on that play. You sometimes never see a wr who plays this hard on non passing downs none the less is only his second year. I think we are set at no. 2 for at least one more year with him and Gettis (who I think can make Mike Wallace type plays for us). Doesnt always get good seperation but always wins the fight for the ball always seems to know where he is on the field and isnt really a burner but out ran the Tampa secondary for that 90 plus yarder td.

Lafell struggled to get separation all year, averaged less than 5 catches per game while he was starting, and his capricious amount of big plays allowed teams to shift coverage over to Smitty, hindering the offense.

On a side note, I almost always type Lafeel when writing his name out, but that’s not really a nickname someone would want.

Is Jody Breeze……… Not sure why, haha but better than anything else I’ve heard yet. =)

There’s simply no need to draft one (unless Dwight Jones falls to us in the 2nd round). The fact of the matter is that there isn’t a receiver currently projected in the 1st round that warrants selection. Blackmon seems special, but he’s no Calvin or Andre Johnson. Jeffries is a tugboat. No way we mess with the current stable by adding someone in the 1st that isn’t completely solid like the aforementioned Johnsons. LaFell, a healthy Gettis, Naanee, Pilares, and Smitty is all we need. Like I said, though, if we were going to draft a WR, the only one I’d shell out bucks and a pick for is Dwight Jones from UNC, and even then it would have to be 2nd round money. Dre K all the way!!!

Catches everything in his circumference like he has tentacals.

I love how he snatches it when the defender thinks he’s getting a pick and he gets a few YACs while that guy rolls into the ground.

Smooth in his routes, always open with plenty of space around him, cool and collected

He has all the tools to be a star in this league. One critical piece that is not quite there and really needs some work is his separation skills.

I know a lot of people don’t like Legedu….but let’s face it, Naanee is actually better at creating separation than Lafell. Ofcourse Nanee butter fingers negates his separation skills which is unfortunate.

To be taken seriously as a solid reciever in NFL, you have to be able to separate at will that is what scares opposing defenses

Defensive players are not really scared of a clutch sticky hand guy that can’t SEPARATE because they know smart QBs are always reluctant to throw to them unless they are MEGATRON or JIMMY GRAHAM…………

go to lafell. that became my third down catch-phrase throughout the year. he truly stepped his game up, and figures to be a vital piece of the Panthers puzzle for years to come if he keeps puttin’ out on Sundays the way he did this year. that’s an understatement.

We are set at the #2 and so on WRs.. I love lafell, Gettis, pilares, etc (and we spent a 2nd rder on armanti so we have to give him another shot or two).

But only one of those pre-injury has a ceiling of #1 WR.. so if we draft a WR they have to have #1 potential to be groomed as SS’s replacement.