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Is Michael Floyd underrated? (1 Viewer)

EBF

Footballguy
I don't own Floyd in any leagues and haven't made any real efforts to change that, but I see him consistently rated well below other comparable prospects like Justin Blackmon, Josh Gordon, DeAndre Hopkins, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Is he underrated? He was a higher draft pick than Hopkins and Patterson. On paper, he seems to possess prototypical #1 receiver tools at 6'2.5" 220 with 4.40 speed and solid workout numbers. He was a consistently good player in college. He had a fairly modest rookie year, but Arizona's entire passing game was toxic last season. It's hard to blame that all on Floyd. I doubt Gordon or Blackmon would've fared much better in his shoes.

Overall, he's a player whose draft pedigree/long term potential seem to be a little out of sync with his current dynasty rankings.

 
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As you may know I was one of Floyd's harshest critics. That was originally based on where he was being drafted (top 5 in a loaded draft) but I've since started to view him as a value pick. Of last year's WR's I would still take Blackmon, Jeffery and Hill before him but he has too much potential to ignore completely.

BTW, Rueben Randle is another guy who is criminally under-rated right now. If he was in this draft I'd have him as the #4 WR behind Austin, Hopkins and Patterson. He's younger than both Austin and Patterson as well.

 
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Excerpt from the Carson Palmer will have a great year throwing to Larry Fitzgerald thread:

Fitzgerald has several other reasons to be excited beyond the quarterback and offensive line upgrades. Defenders won't be able to employ bracket coverage, as beat writers have noted that last year's first-rounder Michael Floyd looks "impressive" and "more confident" while taking more first-team reps than Andre Roberts. Arians is deploying Fitzgerald in the slot as well as outside, just as he did in helping Reggie Wayne to the second-highest yardage total of his career last season.
I think that Floyd will potentially be a value pick this year for some of the reasons mentioned above. The only thing that makes me a little nervous is that I bought into the preseason and training camp hype last year on the following player and it feels like it could be a touch similar:

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=649160

The Jon Baldwin Hype Train
Statistically, wide receivers are pretty much just as likely to "break out" in their 2nd or 4th seasons as their 3rd season, so logically it makes sense to be acquiring both Baldwin and Floyd in leagues where the price is cheap enough.

 
I'm thinking dynasty more than redraft. In redraft I think Roberts will cut into his numbers a little bit. Palmer will be a massive upgrade over the trash they had at QB last year, but he's not exactly Peyton Manning or Drew Brees either.

Long term, Roberts is likely to walk after this year and Fitz is approaching 30. QB situation can only get better from where it was a year ago.

 
I like him as a value pick but part of me wonders how much throwing while down heavily played into his statistics last season.

Week 08-16: 37 catches for 471 yards with 1 TD.

If he falls enough and presents value, I think he has some higher upside than some of the other WRs who may be around him on the board, especially with Arians coming in.

 
If AZ is smart they lock up Roberts long term as their slot WR. Great luxury to have him be able to man the slot and capable on outside in a pinch

Multi-year deal worth in neighborhood of $3 mil/yr sounds reasonable for both. Roberts has come a long ways since his rookie year. He was horrific in camp in Flagstaff that year. Couldn't catch a cold.

 
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Two guys I am higher on than most are Michael Floyd and Sam Bradford. People view his situation as poor, but as we all know things change rapidly in the NFL and I honestly think he is in a perfect spot for him to mature. Arians leads an air attack offense and he has a pro's-pro in future HOF Fitz to mentor him (and take coverage away). Love his skill set (solid tall frame, good speed, my-ball mentality) and think that the buy low window is closing soon. I have already purchased my ticket.

 
I think Floyd could have a very good season as long as Carson Palmer stays healthy most of the year. I am still concerned about Palmer getting injured at some point and then all of the receivers going into the tank somewhat because of that.

But assuming the pass protection is good enough that Palmer can stay healthy, then I see Floyd benefiting from single coverage a lot as team continue to commit more of their double teams to Fitzgerald. The team will throw enough to support 3 WR.

Fitzgerald puts a pretty big cap on what you can expect Floyd to get target wise though. Long term I could see Floyd taking over the WR1 role but you would need to wait for 3-5 years most likely before Fitz is out of the picture. He will be 30 years old to start the 2013 season. WR tend to see some drop off in their performance age 33-34 and an even larger drop at 35 if they are still starting at that point. That means you would still not likely be seeing WR1 targets for Floyd until 2015. If you do see that happening then now would likely be the time to buy before he shows more progress. You will be hoping for WR2-3 numbers from him for the next 2-3 seasons. If you can buy him at that price or lower I think it makes sense if you are lining up your roster to contend in 2015.

They need to get a new QB for that to pay off as well. Palmer will be 34 this December. I don't think he will be their QB in 2015 at age 37. If he is I am not sure I like that situation for Floyd or Roberts if Roberts is retained. Swope is in the mix to take over if he is not re-signed. I suppose Palmer could still be playing well at age 36-37 but the imminent change coming at QB at that point makes this a tenuous situation.

In other words people may be valuing Floyd more correctly now than they were as a rookie.

 
As you may know I was one of Floyd's harshest critics. That was originally based on where he was being drafted (top 5 in a loaded draft) but I've since started to view him as a value pick. Of last year's WR's I would still take Blackmon, Jeffery and Hill before him but he has too much potential to ignore completely.
As a Floyd owner, I would trade him straight up for Jeffery - and probably Hill (although that would be closer). I would not trade him for Blackmon - Blackmon has WAY too high an "knucklehead factor". Yes, Floyd's work ethic came into question - but at least he's not in danger of losing playing time due to conduct violations....or worse.

 
As you may know I was one of Floyd's harshest critics. That was originally based on where he was being drafted (top 5 in a loaded draft) but I've since started to view him as a value pick. Of last year's WR's I would still take Blackmon, Jeffery and Hill before him but he has too much potential to ignore completely.
As a Floyd owner, I would trade him straight up for Jeffery - and probably Hill (although that would be closer). I would not trade him for Blackmon - Blackmon has WAY too high an "knucklehead factor". Yes, Floyd's work ethic came into question - but at least he's not in danger of losing playing time due to conduct violations....or worse.
Wow....really. Well if you could get Blackmon for him (which is doubtful) you could flip Blackmon and potentially get more than Floyd, Hill and Jeffrey combined would bring.

 
I like him and if you have Palmer pegged for 20+ Touchdowns, you've gotta peg the 6 ft 3 guy in for a few. Because of Arizona's QB situation, we have no clue how good this guy really was coming straight out of college.But he's already getting snaps as WR2 in Arizona.

 
As you may know I was one of Floyd's harshest critics. That was originally based on where he was being drafted (top 5 in a loaded draft) but I've since started to view him as a value pick. Of last year's WR's I would still take Blackmon, Jeffery and Hill before him but he has too much potential to ignore completely.
As a Floyd owner, I would trade him straight up for Jeffery - and probably Hill (although that would be closer). I would not trade him for Blackmon - Blackmon has WAY too high an "knucklehead factor". Yes, Floyd's work ethic came into question - but at least he's not in danger of losing playing time due to conduct violations....or worse.
Wow....really. Well if you could get Blackmon for him (which is doubtful) you could flip Blackmon and potentially get more than Floyd, Hill and Jeffrey combined would bring.
I have tried the whole "trade for this guy, then trade him away for xyz" - and that never seems to really play out. And yes, really. I would rather have Floyd than Blackmon right now. Call me cautious, but I think Blackmon is getting dangerously close to the "breaking news" emails coming from Joe saying Blackmon will be has been charged with, will be suspended, etc. He's not there yet...but his track record suggests that he has a better-than-average chance of missing some time at some point down the road.

Floyd for 16 games > Blackmon for 12...or less.

 
Michael Floyd making the leap for Arizona Cardinals?

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

All signs are pointing to a breakout season for Arizona Cardinals 2012 first-round pick Michael Floyd.

After managing just eight total receptions for 91 yards in his first seven games as a rookie, Floyd came on strong down the stretch with 4.1 catches and 52.3 yards per under the unholy triumvirate of John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer at quarterback in the final nine contests. The highlight was an eight-catch, 166-yard torching of the San Francisco 49ers in the season finale.

As a big-play receiver and an outside threat down the sideline, Floyd is a natural fit for new head coach Bruce Arians' vertical offense. "I think he is a bright young star. He has to get better fundamentally," Arians said in February. "But he's physical, he's big, he's active. I loved him coming out."

Already running ahead of Andre Roberts with the first-team offense, Floyd has beat writers noting his increased confidence as he's "made a big leap."

None other than team leader Larry Fitzgerald believes Floyd is on the verge of a big season.

Floyd's emergence as a viable second fiddle to Fitzgerald with Roberts in the slot has Arians crowing that this is the strongest wide receiver group he's ever inherited.

It's a strong statement from a coach who inherited Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress and Antwaan Randle El with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004.

It's a shame the Cardinals are in the NFL's toughest division. They have the talent to be a playoff sleeper otherwise.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
 
yes he is very underrated, but people have been becoming more aware the past couple months I have definitely noticed.

 
Rotoworld:

Coach Bruce Arians said he's already seen Michael Floyd "making leaps and bounds getting better."
Per the Cardinals' official site, it seems like Floyd has been targeted more than anyone other receiver during offseason practices -- including Larry Fitzgerald. "I am really happy with him," Arians said. "He's very serious about what he does. He doesn't like to make mistakes. He’s totally bought in and if he just continues to improve his fundamentals." Thanks to the arrival of Carson Palmer, Arians' wideout-friendly scheme and a first-round skill set, the upside here is huge. Floyd remains one of our favorite sleepers at the wideout position.


Source: azcardinals.com
 
I love this time of year. Everyone's getting race reviews and primed for a breakout. Ever get a story thus time about a guy getting worse?

 
I love this time of year. Everyone's getting race reviews and primed for a breakout. Ever get a story thus time about a guy getting worse?
While this is very true about this time of the year, there have been reports about Mark Ingram running with the 2nd and 3rd teams in the Saints OTAs, which is not positive news.

 
I love this time of year. Everyone's getting race reviews and primed for a breakout. Ever get a story thus time about a guy getting worse?
While this is very true about this time of the year, there have been reports about Mark Ingram running with the 2nd and 3rd teams in the Saints OTAs, which is not positive news.
Yeah and the same sources say he's never looked better and is finally fully healthy, lol.
 
I know everybody sounds like God this time a year, but WR2 could be okay on the opposite of Larry with little to no running game and a QB, albeit old, but likes to chuck it.

 
Don't sleep on Roberts either. His redraft value will probably be limited by the presence of Fitzgerald and Floyd, but I thought he turned the corner last year as an NFL player. I expect him to land a nice contract on a new team next offseason when his rookie deal expires. He's never going to be a dominant #1 target, but there's a lot to like there. He was a third round pick despite playing at a small school. Excellent combine profile. Solid height/weight ratio with good workout numbers across the board. The only thing preventing him from being Antonio Brown or Lance Moore is the situation. I think he is approximately on their level as a talent. Maybe even a little better. His game is a bit like Derrick Mason's.

 
I agree, EBF. But I also like Floyd. I think the Cardinals passing game is a worthwhile investment due to value of the parts where you don't have to invest starter picks.

 
Rotoworld:

AzCardinals.com projects Michael Floyd as the Cardinals' No. 2 receiver, and believes he's "primed for a leap in year two."
In-house reporter Darren Urban has been leading the Floyd hype train all spring, but has plenty of company from less-biased observers. Floyd made big strides late in 2012 despite the Cardinals' farcical quarterback situation, and should start living up to his first-round pedigree under Carson Palmer.


Source: azcardinals.com
 
I just drafted Floyd in a dynasty/redraft startup so you can call me a fan. I wouldn't consider trading him for Stephen Hill-and jurb26 you make a good point, but Hill is one who is pointed out as having a bad camp :) . I prefer him to Alshon Jeffery as well, but it's closer. Jeffery was used more as a Torry Smith type 1 trick pony last year, I didn't see his ability to run different routes on the route tree. Not that I'm a scout so I could be wrong.

 
What I like about Floyd's situation is that Palmer isn't going to force the ball to one player. I'm hoping for a Chad Johnson/T.J. Houshetcetera situation where the WR2 has good enough production to be worth taking later.

As for worries about Palmer's health I'd factor that more into Fitzgerald's ADP than Floyd's. Right now the latter is coming off the board as the 51st wide receiver. At that point it can't hurt to take a chance.

 
What I like about Floyd's situation is that Palmer isn't going to force the ball to one player. I'm hoping for a Chad Johnson/T.J. Houshetcetera situation where the WR2 has good enough production to be worth taking later.

As for worries about Palmer's health I'd factor that more into Fitzgerald's ADP than Floyd's. Right now the latter is coming off the board as the 51st wide receiver. At that point it can't hurt to take a chance.
Good point/thought on the way Palmer used to spread the ball (and Arians seemed to practice some of the same in Pitt), but if memory serves me correct, there never really was a viable third option in Cincy (Chris Henry never could get on track from a personal standpoint), and Roberts certainly is one. To your point, as the 51st receiver, not a big risk, but Roberts will certainly gobble up some stats, and still could out perform Floyd in a PPR scoring system.

 
Just more fluff pieces.....don't miss the boat.....dedication.....size....speed....ball skills......​
In the words of Floyd:​
"Today after we had meetings, Coach Arians came up to me and told me told me to come up to his office some time," he recalled. "He asked me, 'how great do you want to be?'"​
When asked the question that his coach posed, Floyd didn't shy away. "I think everyone's dream, well mine personally is to be a Hall of Fame wide receiver," he answered. "And I'll do anything for that." He said that to do that he plans on "breaking records," which, considering whose records he would have to beat, would probably mean he had a Hall of Fame career.​
More if you are not sick of it........​
 
Two guys I am higher on than most are Michael Floyd and Sam Bradford. People view his situation as poor, but as we all know things change rapidly in the NFL and I honestly think he is in a perfect spot for him to mature. Arians leads an air attack offense and he has a pro's-pro in future HOF Fitz to mentor him (and take coverage away). Love his skill set (solid tall frame, good speed, my-ball mentality) and think that the buy low window is closing soon. I have already purchased my ticket.
It is closing. I have him in one league and have fielded about a dozen offers for the guy over the last 3 weeks. Turned down every one. People want to trade for him like he is some low potential long shot. He has the opportunity, skill set, size and speed. Now he has a QB, what I believe will be an improved run game and hopefully the line is better (how could it get worse). He could still bust, but all the stars are aligned for the kid. He just has to step up and take the prize.

 
The issue is that for some reason people still feel that rookie are going to put up good numbers, Very few do and than everyone is down on them come the next couple year. So I think Floyd is flying a little under the radar.

Floyd had a lot going against him last year.

1 Being a rookie.

2, Horrible QBs

3, Competing for left overs after Fitz.

Having Fitz can only help him pulling coverage away. Roberts will help open things up after last year but he seems like a boom or bust guy each week. But he still competes for catches but at least they will have a better QB and hopefully longer and more scoring drives for Floyd to be apart of.

 
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....

 
TheFanatic said:
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....
Yeah, except for the Peyton Manning thing. I like Floyd's talent for dynasty purposes, but I'd temper expectations for 2013. Carson Palmer's going to get killed behind that terrible offensive line. And even if he somehow stays upright, he's just not good anymore.

 
TheFanatic said:
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....
Yeah, except for the Peyton Manning thing. I like Floyd's talent for dynasty purposes, but I'd temper expectations for 2013. Carson Palmer's going to get killed behind that terrible offensive line. And even if he somehow stays upright, he's just not good anymore.
This. As a Floyd owner, I like his talent and think he will someday be a strong WR2 - possibly WR1. But he will likely be a bye-week/injury type WR3/4 until the QB situation in Arizona improves - along with that o-line.

 
Roberts likely walks next year in free agency. That leaves Floyd to carve up the pie with a 30+ year old Fitz.

Palmer is just a stopgap guy, but he's miles better than anything they've had since Warner and all it takes is one draft pick to fix a QB situation overnight.

 
Roberts likely walks next year in free agency. That leaves Floyd to carve up the pie with a 30+ year old Fitz.

Palmer is just a stopgap guy, but he's miles better than anything they've had since Warner and all it takes is one draft pick to fix a QB situation overnight.
Oh - I agree 100%. Just not in 2013. We should see progress - and, as I said, he may make a nice bye week fill in, or if one of your starting WRs goes down you made need to plug him in. But I see many weeks of 4-45-0 or some such in 2013. Certainly in dynasty he is a solid hold, for exactly the reasons you stated.

 
TheFanatic said:
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....
Yeah, except for the Peyton Manning thing. I like Floyd's talent for dynasty purposes, but I'd temper expectations for 2013. Carson Palmer's going to get killed behind that terrible offensive line. And even if he somehow stays upright, he's just not good anymore.
This. As a Floyd owner, I like his talent and think he will someday be a strong WR2 - possibly WR1. But he will likely be a bye-week/injury type WR3/4 until the QB situation in Arizona improves - along with that o-line.
While no one is EXCITED about Carson Plamer (myself included), he does improve the QB situation over that pile of horse hockey they had last year. Palmer threw for over 4K yards in Oakland last season, which wasn't exactly built like the 99 Rams. Entering his 2nd year in the league, I think Floyd has the talent and opportunity to outperform his ADP more than any other player.

 
Roberts likely walks next year in free agency. That leaves Floyd to carve up the pie with a 30+ year old Fitz.

Palmer is just a stopgap guy, but he's miles better than anything they've had since Warner and all it takes is one draft pick to fix a QB situation overnight.
Oh - I agree 100%. Just not in 2013. We should see progress - and, as I said, he may make a nice bye week fill in, or if one of your starting WRs goes down you made need to plug him in. But I see many weeks of 4-45-0 or some such in 2013. Certainly in dynasty he is a solid hold, for exactly the reasons you stated.
Four catches for 50 yards every game would come to 48 catches for 800 yards on the season. Throw in 4 or 5 good games on top of that and you're looking at 1100 yards and 5 TDs. Not bad considering his ADP.

 
IMO 2013 Carson Palmer is waaaaaay closer to John Skelton etc than he is to Kurt Warner. And he's immobile and prone to bad decisions when pressured.

 
IMO 2013 Carson Palmer is waaaaaay closer to John Skelton etc than he is to Kurt Warner. And he's immobile and prone to bad decisions when pressured.
If you just go by their stats, Palmer is closer to Warner:

Warner in ARI (2005-09): 7.5 YPA, 65.1% Cmp%, 4.8% TD rate, 2.8% INT rate, 4.8% sack rate, ANY/A+ of 111, +0.11 EPA/play, 49% success rate

Palmer in OAK (2011-12): 7.6 YPA, 60.9% Cmp%, 3.9% TD rate, 3.4% INT rate, 4.6% sack rate, ANY/A+ of 104, +0.09 EPA/play, 47% success rate

Skelton in ARI (2010-12): 6.2 YPA, 53.2% Cmp%, 2.5% TD rate, 4.2% INT rate, 7.2% sack rate, ANY/A+ of 75, -0.14 EPA/play, 40% success rate

Palmer's numbers are averageish or slightly above, and Skelton's numbers were farther below average than Warner's were above average (largely because there is a lot more room to go below average).

 
Roberts is a very nice efficient little WR. He is no thoroughbred while Floyd is blessed. Floyd can and should force Roberts into the slot. It seems he will and reports are favorable. The Cards will have a surprisingly nice WR corps if Floyd steps up as Roberts is sorely underrated too.

Roberts is good, efficient. Floyd needs to step up or else the Cards roll with the efficient one.

 
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....
Yeah, except for the Peyton Manning thing. I like Floyd's talent for dynasty purposes, but I'd temper expectations for 2013. Carson Palmer's going to get killed behind that terrible offensive line. And even if he somehow stays upright, he's just not good anymore.
he threw for almost 4K with Oakland. And we know he can make a WR into a top 10 fantasy player. That Arizona line can only get better and he is light years ahead of who was passing for Arizona last year...

 
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....
Yeah, except for the Peyton Manning thing. I like Floyd's talent for dynasty purposes, but I'd temper expectations for 2013. Carson Palmer's going to get killed behind that terrible offensive line. And even if he somehow stays upright, he's just not good anymore.
he threw for almost 4K with Oakland. And we know he can make a WR into a top 10 fantasy player. That Arizona line can only get better and he is light years ahead of who was passing for Arizona last year...
Why can the ARI line only get better, and what has been done to make it better?

 
In pure keeper leagues, this guy could be the next Reggie Wayne. He has the uber stuf across from him whom he will likely replace in a handful of years....
Yeah, except for the Peyton Manning thing. I like Floyd's talent for dynasty purposes, but I'd temper expectations for 2013. Carson Palmer's going to get killed behind that terrible offensive line. And even if he somehow stays upright, he's just not good anymore.
he threw for almost 4K with Oakland. And we know he can make a WR into a top 10 fantasy player. That Arizona line can only get better and he is light years ahead of who was passing for Arizona last year...
Why can the ARI line only get better, and what has been done to make it better?
They drafted Cooper, Massie improved greatly the second half of season, and I think Brown was hurt. And you cannot get much worse than they were last year.

 
What I like about Floyd's situation is that Palmer isn't going to force the ball to one player. I'm hoping for a Chad Johnson/T.J. Houshetcetera situation where the WR2 has good enough production to be worth taking later.

As for worries about Palmer's health I'd factor that more into Fitzgerald's ADP than Floyd's. Right now the latter is coming off the board as the 51st wide receiver. At that point it can't hurt to take a chance.
Good point/thought on the way Palmer used to spread the ball (and Arians seemed to practice some of the same in Pitt), but if memory serves me correct, there never really was a viable third option in Cincy (Chris Henry never could get on track from a personal standpoint), and Roberts certainly is one. To your point, as the 51st receiver, not a big risk, but Roberts will certainly gobble up some stats, and still could out perform Floyd in a PPR scoring system.
I'd like to get behind some hype about somebody, but this is generally how I feel about the situation. Roberts is being overlooked here. He's a talented player. I don't think it is realistic for Floyd to get Housh-like targets this year. Is he the type of explosive player that can make do without that many targets? I don't know. At WR50, he might be worth a shot, but I'd reach one round for Sanders (WR45) or wait a bit and snag DHB (WR60).

Roberts likely walks next year in free agency. That leaves Floyd to carve up the pie with a 30+ year old Fitz.

Palmer is just a stopgap guy, but he's miles better than anything they've had since Warner and all it takes is one draft pick to fix a QB situation overnight.
This is the second time this has come up, and I think it is silly. We're talking about a WR here, not a RB. To me 34 for a WR is what 30 is to a RB, so I don't care if Fitz is 30 next year and neither should you.

Floyd for 16 games > Blackmon for 12...or less.
No. That is not true at all. Maybe if you're just looking at season totals, but if you are drafting Floyd at WR50 or Blackmon at WR44, you are drafting them as your 4th or 5th WR most likely. In that case, neither will make your lineup until the bye weeks start. So what you should be looking for here is the guy who is going to put up better PPG and/or the guy who has the best upside (as in he could surpass your other WRs and make your lineup by week 8). To me, Blackmon has a better chance than this. His only real competition is Shorts who has concussion issues and may or may not have been a flash in the pan. Even if Shorts is the real deal, Blackmon was still getting mega targets while Shorts was blowing up last year. So I think Blackmon week 5-17 >> Floyd weeks 5-17. If you really need one of them for weeks 1-4, then I guess your decision is easy, but I can't imagine why you would.

 
Making the Leap: No. 38 Cardinals WR Michael Floyd

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Around The League will profile the top 40 players we see Making a Leap in 2013.

No. 38. Michael FloydWhy he's on the listFloyd is not short on potential. The Arizona Cardinals wouldn't have taken him with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft if he was. He's a big, physical target who came on strong after a very quiet start to his rookie season.

The splits tell the story of Floyd's progression: In his first seven games, Floyd managed just eight catches for 91 yards and one touchdown. In his final nine games, Floyd had 37 catches for 471 yards and one score. There's reason to believe Floyd is ready to emerge as a legitimate counterpart to Larry Fitzgerald.

Floyd has the ability to be an excellent yards-after-catch performer. We got a glimpse of this in Arizona's Week 17 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

(click on link at the top to see the video clip)

Later in the same drive, Floyd put six on the board by showcasing the ability to use his size and strength to win one-on-one battles. Chris Culliver never had a chance.

(click on link at the top to see the video clip)

Floyd has all the tools to become the kind of secondary threat the Cardinals haven't enjoyed since Anquan Boldin left town.

ObstaclesThere's no denying that Carson Palmer is a substantial upgrade over what the Cardinals attempted to work with at quarterback last season. Still, we're not ready to predict a Kurt Warner-like career renaissance for Palmer, who has been a mediocre player for the past half-decade.

Floyd also has to secure his spot in the starting lineup. Fitzgerald and Andre Roberts lined up in Arizona's two-wideout sets in 2012, and Roberts is coming off his most productive season. Floyd was running with the first team in offseason workouts, but the starting job will likely come down to a camp battle.

The final obstacle comes down to preparation. Floyd struggled early in his rookie season with drops as well as issues running routes and lining up in the correct spot. That didn't fly under Ken Whisenhunt, and it won't work for Bruce Arians, who has pointed out to reporters that Floyd must get better fundamentally.

2013 ExpectationsThe Cardinals' official website reported this month that Floyd was targeted more than any receiver in minicamp -- including Fitzgerald. It certainly appears that Arians has big plans for Floyd in his aggressive vertical attack. We'd be very surprised if Floyd doesn't move past Roberts on the Cardinals' depth chart.

"I am really happy with him," Arians told the Cardinals' team site. "He's very serious about what he does. He doesn't like to make mistakes. He's totally bought in and if he just continues to improve his fundamentals he's another guy who can have a breakout year."

Floyd isn't ready to eclipse Fitzgerald as Arizona's top receiver, but the stars are aligned for a big leap in production.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
 
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I love this time of year. Everyone's getting race reviews and primed for a breakout. Ever get a story thus time about a guy getting worse?
Well, not often.

But then again, if "everyone" is getting rave reviews except for player X, then what does that say about him?

Let's take Andre Roberts, for example. Haven't heard anything about him. In the blurbs in which his name is mentioned, it's always in the context of what Fitz and Floyd are doing.

So does that lack of news about him and the hype on Floyd mean anything in the context of which of the two will get more looks as the #2 in Arizona? I think it does. I think it means that Floyd will start as the #2 and Roberts will get #3 looks. While that's not huge news in terms of unforeseen developments, it does start to verify the predictions that Floyd's playing time is on the upswing and his targets could increase dramatically this season.

Now, we can argue over what will be produced by the #2 in Arizona and then try and determine whether Floyd needs to move up boards if uncertainty about his role was affecting his ranking, but if you were labeling him a bust based on 2012's production, then I would think by now that this news would be making you rethink that position.

And so then these articles, while needing to be taken with a certain amount of salt, still are helpful in predicting what sized role a particular player may have in the upcoming season, which then in turn affects your rankings.

 
Excerpt:

Most Improved Wide Receiver for 2013: Michael Floyd

Floyd's backstory: The Arizona Cardinals selected Floyd with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to serve as a legitimate complementary receiver to Larry Fitzgerald. However, Floyd failed to win the No. 2 job in training camp and played sparingly until the end of his rookie season. When he hit the field, Floyd showed flashes of immense potential, but inconsistency separating from defenders and occasional mental miscues prevented him from taking on a bigger role in the game plan.

Of course, Arizona's revolving door at quarterback didn't help Floyd's maturation process. Kevin Kolb, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer struggled to get the ball to receivers on the perimeter. Consequently, Floyd rarely got a chance to build on some of the splash plays that he produced throughout the season.

Why he will improve in 2013: First-year head coach Bruce Arians is ushering in a new era with a dynamic aerial attack directed by new quarterback Carson Palmer. While the system places an emphasis on pushing the ball down the field, Arians will utilize a myriad of simple concepts designed to create easy throws for the QB. From tradition three- and four-vertical routes to a variety of "Dino" concepts (double-post routes), Arians cleverly crafts passing plays to stretch the defense vertically, while also creating good opportunities for his playmakers against isolated coverage. As a result, his receivers pile up receptions of 20-plus yards, boosting yards-per-catch averages over the 15.0 mark, which is the standard for big-play wideouts in the NFL.

For Floyd, the shift to a vertical passing game will accentuate his strengths as a big-bodied receiver with strong hands. He excels at shielding defenders away from the ball and high-pointing passes in traffic. Given those traits, Palmer should throw plenty of passes in Floyd's direction to take advantage of his huge catch radius. The video clip to your right, from Floyd's brilliant Week 17 outing against the San Francisco 49ers (eight catches for 166 yards and a touchdown), illustrates how the receiver uses his size and strength to come down with 50-50 balls.

The move to a downfield passing attack also will help Floyd become a better route runner in his second season. Big receivers typically struggle executing routes that feature stop-start elements due to the challenge of regenerating speed out of the break. As a result, they fail to create space or run away from defenders, despite possessing superior talent. This isn't a problem in a vertical scheme because most of the routes keep receivers on the move. Breaking down Floyd's Notre Dame tape prior to the 2012 draft, I believed he was at his best when featured on vertical routes. He had a knack for getting behind defenders, despite lacking sub-4.5 speed. Floyd continued to display those traits a season ago, when the Cardinals would attempt to get him the ball on go-routes or fade-routes down the boundary, like in the video to your right just below.

Given Palmer's strengths as a deep-ball thrower, Floyd should produce plenty of fireworks for the Cardinals in 2013.

Impact on the team: The Cardinals' offense has been lacking an explosive 1-2 punch at receiver since Anquan Boldin was traded to the Baltimore Ravens following the 2009 season (when the franchise made its last playoff appearance). With Floyd set to fill the role of trusty sidekick to Fitzgerald, the Cardinals could make a run at a winning season behind a rejuvenated offense.

Projected 2013 stat line: 75 receptions, 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns.
 
Thanks Faust, using the iPad makes it brutal to copy and paste on FBG now.

Those are some high expectations and projections. I say no way he attains them unless Fitz misses significant time. There is not enough room on that offense to support both guys and whatever Roberts does IMO.

 
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Thanks Faust, using the iPad makes it brutal to copy and paste on FBG now.

Those are some high expectations and projections. I say no way he attains them unless Fitz misses significant time. There is not enough room on that offense to support both guys and whatever Roberts does IMO.
Yea, no kidding. That's right about what people have projected for Jordy Nelson. No way Michael Floyd has a better season with Palmer than Nelson does with Rodgers. Arizona's offensive line is still terrible which is overlooked with fantasy success.

That said there are a lot of things looking well for Floyd. I'd say he's a comfortable WR4/5 this season with upside to WR3 at best. I think it's a little much for people to claim he's going to crack the top 30.

 
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