NFL Brandon Lloyd makes a big splash

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Had you asked those who follow the New England Patriots what they thought of the team’s free-agent moves before 8 p.m. ET Saturday, opinion polls probably wouldn’t have been too favorable. There were four players coming aboard from other teams who probably had some scrambling to answer the question, “Who?” Jonathan Fanene … Steve Gregory … Anthony Gonzalez … Trevor Scott.

Then there were four re-signings, mostly geared toward special teams. Not exactly the most exciting stuff.

Dan Connolly … Niko Koutouvides … Matthew Slater … Tracy White.But once word came down shortly after 8 p.m. ET that there was a new name to add to the list — big-play receiver Brandon Lloyd — the outlook was drastically altered. Lloyd is the playmaking receiver the offense has been missing, not to mention a big name, which always adds a layer of excitement for those following the team.

The addition of Lloyd was the exclamation point to the team’s busy opening five-day stretch of free agency, from which one conclusion can be drawn: Bill Belichick isn’t messing around.