The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the best passing offenses in the NFL in 2015, especially during the 13 games quarterback Andy Dalton was healthy. Dalton completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 3,250 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions, all of which combined to give him a passer rating of 106.2, second-best in the league. As a team, they had the NFL's most efficient pass offense, ranking first in Football Outsdiers' pass DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, which adjusts performance for down, distance, and opponent).
Two key components of that passing game, though, left the team this offseason. No. 2 wideout Marvin Jones left in free agency for the Detroit Lions, while No. 3 man Mohamed Sanu headed south to the Atlanta Falcons. A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert are still in town, of course, but the receiver cupboard behind Green was pretty bare.
And so Wednesday the Bengals responded by signing former Panthers and Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell, per multiple reports that cited LaFell's agent.
Former Patriots' WR Brandon LaFell has reached agreement with Cincinnati Bengals, per @schwartzfeinsod.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2016
LaFell never amounted to much during his four years with the Panthers, catching a combined 167 passes for 2,385 yards and 13 touchdowns -- good for an average line of approximately 42-596-3. He surged during his first season in New England though, catching 74 passes for 953 yards and seven scores.
LaFell entered the 2015 season looking like the No. 2 receiver for the Pats, but injuries kept him off the field for the first five games of the year and he simply never recovered. He finished the season with only 37 catches for 515 yards, and he did not find the end zone even once. He also ended up among the league leaders in drops (10) despite playing only 11 games. By the time the playoffs rolled around, LaFell was an afterthought in the New England offense. He caught three passes for six yards in two postseason games and was cut shortly after the start of the offseason.
He'll play half of next year for the Bengals at 30 years old, and should likely not be counted on to provide a consistent threat across from Green. The Bengals still have players like Brandon Tate and Mario Alford in house, but it seems likely they'll drive a receiver during next month's drive to give Dalton additional options.
