Saturday, October 15, 2011

Brandon Lloyd

For Ram-fans everywhere, now is the fall of our discontent... and it has not been made glorious spring by any sun of York.

The team that was supposed to win the NFC West this year is currently 0-4 and doomed to go 0-5 when we play the best team in football this Sunday:  The Green Bay Packers.  We currently trail the 49ers by four-whole games, and it may turn into five.  Since the Lions are favored by most to win their match with the 49ers, this lead will probably not increase, but that is hardly consolation.

It seemed a week ago that all the doom of 2009 has returned in 2011, and nothing could prevent us from reclaiming our lott at the top of the draft.  Oh well, take solace in the fact that our pick will be high enough to select Justin Blackmon.

Then something strange began to happen with my other favorite team:  the Denver Broncos.  Tim Tebow was declared the started in Denver after we all finally figured out that Kyle Orton is not a winner and Time Tebow is.  Then, abruptly, Pro-Bowler Brandon Lloyd--the #58 best player in the league as voted by the active players in the league--suddenly appears on the trading block...?

You would think the Broncos would want their best receiver at the ready as they prepare to break-in their young QB.  Why this move?  Why now?  Why do this at all?

The official story is that the Broncos cannot come to financial terms with Lloyd on an extension to his current contract.  Lloyd seems set on testing his market value in free agency.  His contract expires after this season, so he has only a few months to go.  The Broncos are simply trying to recover some value for him.  They don't want him to escape in the free agency market and be left with nothing but memories.

I think there is an unofficial story here.  Lloyd was known to be a staunch supporter of Kyle Orton.  He credited Orton with a large measure of his success, saying Orton threw the most catchable ball he has ever seen.

Is that so, Mr Lloyd?  If such is the case, why the hell are you always photoed making such spectacular catches on such preposterously overthrown and misdirected passes then?  Your resume photos cast doubt on that very statement.  If Kyle Orton's passes were chest-level and on the hands, you wouldn't have any of these photos, now would you?

Others say that Orton and Lloyd have a good personal rapport, and Lloyd greatly prefers the conventional spin of the right-armed quarterback.  We all know how much Steve Young's lefty reverse spin pestered Jerry Rice in the beginning. Almost every receiver in the league prefers a veteran QB over a youngin.

It should also be noted that Lloyd is a Cancer--a water sign.  Orton is a Scorpio, also a water sign.  Tebow is a Leo, and the most fiery guy you will ever run into.  Leo-Cancer isn't automatically terrible, but it ain't usually good.

Enter the Rams.  Almost unbelievably, our receiver corp is actually worse in 2011 than it was in 2010.  The loss of Danny Amendola has sealed that deal.  Sam Bradford has absolutely nothing to throw to on the outsides.  All a defense has to do to shutdown our passing game is cover one rookie tightend, and we are done.

If there is any team in the league that has to take a flier on Lloyd, it's the Rams.  I knew it right away, but I bit my tongue.  I did so for several reasons.  Nobody wants to give up precious picks in the 2012 draft.  Right now the crop looks good.  Lloyd was considered a bust through the first 6-7 years of his career.  Certainly, this had plenty to do with QB problems in SF and Washington.  If we trade a precious pick for Lloyd, how much money will he want to sign?  Can we sign him before the trade is made?

Also, we know Devaney is a contrarian.  If the fans want it, he doesn't do it.  He wants us to know he makes the personnel decisions.  He also enjoys making bad calls.  This is why Devaney should be fired, if anyone gets the ax for this bad season.

So we have a Pro-Bowl receiver on the market, who just happens to be a Cancer.  The Rams have a GM who just happens to be a Pisces (the third water sign), and we also just happen to have a QB who is a Scorpio.  That ain't a coinkydink either.  The Pisces picked the Scorpio.  Now we will have to wait and see if Devaney sees the light, and picks the Cancer receiver who fits very nicely with everybody.

Josh McDaniels also happens to be in St. Louis now.  He was the head-coach in Denver last season, and was a large part of Brandon Lloyd's explosion on the scene.  I sure hope McDaniels is politicing for his old receiver at HQ.

I think Lloyd will see the light, and want to resign with the Rams.  He would come to a franchise desperate for a WR.  He would rejoin his old coach, a guy who was partially responsible for his success.  He gets a new right-handed Scorpio who is a lot better than his old right-handed Scorpio.  He will unquestionably be the #1 man in every game plan.

Frankly, if we don't do this deal, it proves we have no balls, no desire to win, we have given up on this year, and we are content to watch our young QB die on the vine.