At long last, Brandon Lloyd has found a new home.
The San Francisco 49ers announced Tuesday that the wide receiver has signed a one-year deal to rejoin the team that originally picked him in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
Battista: Niners at a crossroads
Lloyd didn't register a snap last season after the Patriots released him in April on the heels of a 74-catch season in New England. Amid reports that his "erratic behavior" in the locker room bothered the Pats, Lloyd drew little interest on the open market before landing a role in a zombie flick.
Add Lloyd to a flock of 49ers wideouts who lack speed, but know how to catch the ball in traffic. He's on the wrong side of 30, but has a shot to make the roster behind Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. San Francisco still lacks a true burner at the position, one reason the 49ers showed interest in DeSean Jackson before he signed with the Washington Redskins.
The move is another indication that Jim Harbaugh isn't completely sold on Quinton Patton as the team's third option. Asked about the young pass-catcher at last month's NFL Annual Meeting, the coach told reporters he was looking for "a third guy who can get open and make plays. ... A playmaker."
The 49ers should keep looking. We'd be surprised if a 32-year-old pass-catcher coming off a sabbatical year fills that need.
The latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast" covers the Aldon Smith arrest and analyzes the offseason movers and shakers in the NFC East and NFC South.
