Before the hysteria of Tim Tebow fever engulfs Denver with certain religious fervor, Denver Broncos fans will have to realize St. Tebow will not have his top target and main weapon when he makes his first start of the season.
The Denver Broncos traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Lloyd, the league’s leading receiver in 2010, to the St. Louis Rams for a conditional 2012 draft pick.
Curious timing, as the deal comes a week after Tebow officially took over for Kyle Orton at QB1.
St. Louis gets a much-needed downfield threat for Sam Bradford. Plus Josh McDaniels is the Rams offensive coordinator now, and he seemed to be the only coach to get through to Lloyd last year when both were in Denver.
Lloyd is in the final season of his $1.4 million deal, and last year (league leading 1,448 yards receiving , 77 receptions, 11 TDs) was the breakthrough year everyone has expected since he skipped his senior season at illinois to become a day one draft pick in 2002. The former Illini receiver has had a very pedestrian, journeyman career up until 2010. Before Denver, he had worn out his welcome with San Francisco, Washington and Chicago- a place he got in partially because is his UI connections to then Bears OC Ron Turner.
His numbers are a bit down this year: with 19 catches for a team-high 283 yards and zero touchdowns.
From the AP:
Last month, Lloyd complained about a lack of downfield chances under the new regime in Denver. Coach John Fox blamed Lloyd’s dip in productivity largely on a groin injury that kept him out against Cincinnati – Denver’s only win – although Lloyd maintained the Broncos’ conservative offensive philosophy was the primary culprit.
Lloyd had a breakout season in 2011, his eighth in the NFL. He had 18 catches of 25 yards or more and posted the third-highest receiving average (18.8 yards) since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Even at 30, Lloyd is one of the most athletic players in the NFL and is widely considered the receiver with the best hands in football.
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