The New England Patriots scooped up Michael Floyd off waivers, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, just one day after the Arizona Cardinals cut the former first-round pick following a DUI arrest.
Patriots claim Michael Floyd off waivers days after DUI arrest
Michael Floyd didn’t have to wait long to find a new team.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Floyd, 27, was released by the Cardinals on Wednesday, two days after he was arrested early Monday morning, following a loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots claiming Floyd, means that the majority of the NFL opted not to pick up the final games of the receiver’s contract.
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Scheduled to become a free agent in the offseason, the Patriots will now be on the hook for the final games of his contract, but that could mean the team is rewarded with a compensatory draft selection if Floyd signs a sizable enough contract elsewhere in the offseason — although the competition committee could opt not to do that.
A first-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Floyd caught 65 passes for 1,041 yards with five touchdowns in 2013 and followed it with a pair of seasons with six touchdowns and more than 800 receiving yards. However, in the first 13 games of 2016, Floyd had just 33 receptions for 446 yards with four touchdowns.
Still, the decision to release Floyd after the arrest came as a surprise to many, including Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald who said he wouldn’t give his true feelings on the team’s roster move “because people might get upset.” On Thursday, he reacted to the news that Floyd was claimed by the Patriots.
The Patriots have a history of taking a chance on players with big talent, but questionable character. Players like Dominique Easley and Albert Haynesworth didn’t work out well for the franchise — not to mention the extreme problem that was Aaron Hernandez — however, it did work out for players like Aqib Talib and Randy Moss who were acquired by New England for cheap.
New England doesn’t need much help in the passing game with Tom Brady leading the No. 4 passing attack in the NFL through 13 games. However, the team is without Rob Gronkowski for the remainder of the year and is without Danny Amendola, who suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 13.
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