Patriots claim Michael Floyd off waivers

Despite his misstep off the field, it didn’t take long for Michael Floyd to find a team willing to claim him.

A day after being cut by the Arizona Cardinals, Michael Floyd has found a new NFL home in New England.

The Cardinals placed Floyd on waivers after he was arrested for a DUI Monday morning. Floyd had spent his entire five-year NFL career in Arizona after the team selected him in the first round, 13th overall, in 2012.

In five seasons with the Cardinals, Floyd caught 242 passes for 3,739 yards and 23 touchdowns. In his second season, Floyd had 65 receptions, for 1041 yards and five touchdowns. But he has seen his totals drop in each of his three following seasons. Currently, Floyd has 33 catches, 446 yards and four touchdowns this season.

The Patriots are 31st in waiver priority, meaning that the other 30 teams in the NFL passed on Floyd, with the exception of the Dallas Cowboys, who are 32nd in waiver priority. The addition of the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Floyd gives the Patriots a big body receiver the team lacks. The only Patriots wide receiver that is taller than 6’1″ is Chris Hogan.

After losing Rob Gronkowski for the season, the Patriots are looking for alternative ways to throw the ball downfield. The addition of Floyd could help the Patriots stretch the field, allowing for smaller receivers such as Julian Edelman to find more space underneath to catch passes and pick up yards after the catch.

For the Patriots, claiming Floyd is a worthy gamble. Although Floyd has had his issues with alcohol, his upside on the field is too good for the Patriots to pass on. Since Floyd is a free agent after the season, the team can quickly wipe their hands clean of the receiver if he does not perform.

With just three games left in the season, it will be interesting to see how fast Floyd is able to learn the Patriots’ complex offensive playbook. Floyd did play at Notre Dame under former Patriots offensive co-ordinator Charlie Weis, which should help him learn some of the concepts the Patriots have used in the Tom Brady era.

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Given that Floyd is almost certainly going to be inactive in week 15, he will have only two games to prove his worth to the Patriots. It’s an expensive gamble for the Patriots, who will be responsible for Floyd’s $1.2 million dollar salary for the remaining three games.

But if Floyd can learn the offense, he could be an important deep threat in the Patriots playoff run.