What's the word on Brandon Lafell heading into 11-12?

[Saint J]

Lafell drops a number of passes that cannot be blamed on anyone but himself

he always had great hands at LSU. And I saw him with three different QBs.

[Brokenbad]

Adequate is the word. :)

Meh, all in one's perception :rolleyes:

lol.

[jayflip]

Is Gettis still basket catching or did he correct that this offseason?

[Ricky Spanish]

Gettis runs routes crisply, it just looks pretty watching him do it. Lafell isn't wuite there yet but I remember reading somewhere that he was learning EVERY WR position and not just the #2 like Gettis was.

I think the biggest difference between the two is the fact that gettis, at times, makes things look effortless, and that is a great trait to have in anything you do. LaFell has his moments (the end around against atlanta comes to mind) but all in all, he doesn't have the same smoothness to his routes and such that gettis does.

Both have potential to be very good, I just thing Gettis is the sentimental favorite for most people due to him being drafted so damn late and having none of us fans really give him a shot at making the roster.

[Cyberjag]

I'm more optimistic about Gettis.

LaFell, meh.

I guess that based on this a LaFell jersey would be a good long-term investment :)

[Seamonk]

LaFell is good once he has the ball in his hands. He doesn't have blazing speed but he's got "make you miss" speed. The moose comparisons are legit. We did hear about his ability as a blocker a lot last season.

[SOJA]

gotta commend you sj on your first thread of any worth in the panthers forum

I honestly think both LaFell and Gettis showed real promise last year, and really started to come on as the season progressed. In the last game verse ATL, LaFell (known as possesion/blocking character) ran an end around and really showed some moves in the open field. Toss in the catch he had late against the Browns and those are two BIG time plays.

That being said even Keary Colbert, Drew Carter, and Dwayne Jarrett found nuts a couple of times.

I think LaFell could develop into an absolutely solid number two option, a fringe 1 receiver.

[Saint J]

gotta commend you sj on your first thread of any worth in the panthers forum

I honestly think both LaFell and Gettis showed real promise last year, and really started to come on as the season progressed. In the last game verse ATL, LaFell (known as possesion/blocking character) ran an end around and really showed some moves in the open field. Toss in the catch he had late against the Browns and those are two BIG time plays.

That being said even Keary Colbert, Drew Carter, and Dwayne Jarrett found nuts a couple of times.

I think LaFell could develop into an absolutely solid number two option, a fringe 1 receiver.

i've started some great threads over the years, broseph. been around these parts since 2007.

[CLG]

in college Lafell was a productive Y.A.C receiver. Im willing to bet that he still knows what to do as a ballcarrier when the oppurtunity presents itself(obviously last years oppurtunities unfortunately were limited). I think he'll be a solid all around WR with time.

[Catalyst]

LaFell reminds me a lot of a young Muhsin Muhammad. Still think Gettis is better, but I think once Smitty retires/moves on LaFell will be ready to step in and start opposite Gettis.

[JawnyBlaze]

Lafell got better as the year went on, which is to be expected. I think it's still wide open between him and Gettis. I'd only give Gettis the slight edge because he's an inch taller and a slightly higher top gear. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lafell to turn out the better pro in the long run, though. A couple of his circus catches were jaw dropping. If he could just get more consistent, he'd be dat deal fo sho.

[Achilles]

THe learning curve for LaFell was much steeper because he was being groomed to be the eventual #1. Because of that and maybe some added pressure (being the higher draft pick) he didn't start showing progress until late in the season. Gettis had the better stats and caught the ball more consistently throughout the season.

LaFell is the posession type and Gettis is the jack-of-all-trades type. Neither one, based on last year (had a lot to do with QB I know), are really scaring any DBs on this schedule.

However, if you mix in Smitty (the playmaker) and A. Edwards (the x-factor) and you have a core that contains all the right parts. Add the quality we have at TE and RB and you have a pretty complete passing attack.

THat said, any improvement in the passing game will probably bring us 2 or 3 more wins. I have never seen such a weak passing team as last year's Panthers. Fox and Davidson had that package so watered down and Jimmy was just plain aweful, I mean worse that David Carr terrible. You can't blame a couple of rookie wideouts for struggling in that system.

We have good talent at WR, but I'd still like for them to bring in someone with a little more experience.

[Vagrant]

The great thing is that we don't have to choose between them, because they're both going to be NFL quality receivers. Gettis is the deep ball threat with blazing speed and LaFell is what we wanted Dwayne Jarrett to be but he never could put it together. We have been through a TON of prospects at this position and I haven't felt more confident in any two than I do in these two players.

LaFell can make some grabs that no human being should. One handed catches and ridiculous stuff. I can understand some drops. Every WR makes a few.

[paulSM]

I don't know about blazing speed... but I def like both of these guys more than anybody else we've been grooming. Also, I'm excited to see what Edwards does this year... I know probably nothing, but it's usually the third year with receivers. I hope to see Edwards tear it up in returning this year, and then develope into a good receiver next year. good things are being said about him for once, and I'm excited