FOXBORO -- Not only did Tom Brady and Brandon LaFell win a Super Bowl together. They had adjacent lockers at Gillette Stadium during LaFell's two-year stay with the team. A bond was developed between the pair both on the field and off, Brady told members of the Bengals media on Wednesday.
"I loved playing with Jo," Brady said, using LaFell's nickname. "He was a spectacular player, and I know he had a big week last week. I saw two touchdowns. He’s a great teammate. We were locker mates for a couple of years and he just made huge contributions to our team.
"He was selfless. He has a great skill set, speed, toughness, his run-after-catch. He can really do everything, the whole route-tree. He played in the slot for us, he played outside, he caught short balls, he caught deep balls, he was very good in the red area so I loved playing with him. He’s a spectacular player and it looks like he’s off to a great start this year."
Brady and LaFell connected 74 times for 953 yards and seven scores in 2014. LaFell also caught 13 passes and two critical touchdowns -- including one in the Super Bowl -- during New England's run to its most recent championship. After an injury-plagued 2015 in which he played 11 games and caught 37 passes, LaFell signed with the Bengals as a free agent and has caught on as their No. 2 wideout behind AJ Green. In five games this season, LaFell has 21 catches or 276 yards and two scores.
"He brought a good attitude every day," Brady said. "We spent a lot of time with each other and I think that was a reason why we developed a great relationship. We were next to each other for his whole time there. I always enjoyed being with him, being around him and it was tough to see him go."
Now it's up to Patriots defensive backs to slow him down. How they handle Green, who missed Wednesday's practice with an injury, could dictate how coverage shifts to LaFell. Regardless of which defensive back is assigned to the former Patriots pass-catcher, the scouting report will be one that LaFell's old teammates already have down cold: He's a versatile player who uses his size (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) and physical playing style to his advantage.
"Just gotta be aggressive with him also," said Patriots corner Malcolm Butler. "Brandon, he's a great player. He can block, he can catch the routes, he can go deep, he can do it short, he can do it all. I've seen that for a whole year, and he'll be a good challenge."