Is Michael Floyd really worth the gamble?

[Totally_Red]

Fitz loves the guy and apparently really wants us to draft him. I am hesitant for a couple of reasons: character and injury history.

Does the risk/reward on this talented receiver justify taking him over an offensive lineman or linebacker with fewer concerns?

From CBS Sports:

Intangibles: Arrested three times on alcohol-related charges while at Notre Dame. Missed most of 2009 with a broken left collarbone and the final two regular-season contests of 2008 with a left knee injury.

character:

Cited for underage consumption of alcohol in May 2009 in Minnesota, pled guilty.

Cited for underage consumption of alcohol in January 2010 in Minnesota, was in the area of a fight to which police were called.

Arrested for drunken driving on Notre Dame campus in March 2011, received probation, had anti-drunk-driving ignition device installed in his care after 90-day driving prohibition

injury:

Played in 11 of Notre Dame's 13 games in 2008, only missing the final two games of the regular season (Syracuse and USC) due to an injury sustained early (third play of the game) against Navy

Played and started in seven games in 2009 season (did not play against Purdue, Washington, USC, Boston College and Washington State due to injury)

Floyd started 12 games in 2010 season, missing the Navy contest with a hamstring injury.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1633109/michael-floyd

 

[MadCardDisease]

Those are not really a character issues IMO.

Pretty much anyone who went to college could have been written up for underage drinking.

Drunk Driving on the other hand isn't something to take lightly but fortunetly no one was hurt and that was the only time he was arrested for it.

If those are the biggest dings on his character I have no problem with the Cardinals drafting him.

 

[Totally_Red]

Those are not really a character issues IMO.

Pretty much anyone who went to college could have been written up for underage drinking.

Drunk Driving on the other hand isn't something to take lightly but fortunetly no one was hurt and that was the only time he was arrested for it.

If those are the biggest dings on his character I have no problem with the Cardinals drafting him.

I'm more concerned about the injury history. With a starting QB with serious durability issues and injury/durability concerns with both Beanie and Williams, I'm just not sure I'm willing to take the risk on Floyd at #13 overall. The upside is undeniable, but with no 2nd round pick and durability/injury questions at QB and RB I'm hesitant on MF. If he stayed healthy and developed quickly, he'd definitely inject some life into the passing attack though.

 

[Buckybird]

IMO he's not!!!

I think he has a solid NFL career...nothing spectacular. I still don't believe Floyd's 40 time translates onto the football field. I've seen Blackmon & Floyd over & over the last few years & Blackmon makes big plays in YAC which I've rarely seen from the ND star. Put on the tape & compare...

Some peeps like strawberry or vanilla ice cream, I like chocolate...to each their own opionion.

 

[CardsFan88]

He also went to a catholic college. Anyone here think catholic college kids don't drink?

Anyone think that college kids don't drink? Anyone think more than 10 percent of any of these draftees didn't get piss drunk at least a handful of times at college?

Anyone think that professional athletes don't party during the season majorly in a routine fashion? (I don't like this during the season stuff, but they sure and the hell do)

If the answer is yes to any of these, you are unrealistic.

While the drunk driving is very much in poor taste, kids tend to do it. We also don't know what he blew. .08 for many people is slightly buzzed, and thus a lot of kids who think they aren't drunk, because they're not, are definitely buzzed, but legally drunk, and don't know the difference and when caught are shocked. I'm not excusing it, just saying at .08 lots of 'drunk drivers' are neither drunk nor thought they were, and thus drove, but since legally they are considered regardless of the fact of whether or not they are, they are charged with it. Remember it is only an assumption that .08 is drunk. A rather dubious one. I can understand it, because lives are at risk, but it allows a large grey area where people are charged with something that in reality might not be a crime, just to dissuade the larger public from engaging in like or slightly riskier drinking and then driving habits. It is far from perfect, but it's what there is. A future test should involve brain endorphins, rather than blood alcohol to more accurately judge through things like tolerance. But even then they want to keep a wide latitude, which is why even if you drink 5 shots and drove immediately home, they still consider you drunk, even if it hadn't been absorbed.

If it was ~.2, well then that's a different story.

Again I've known good people get 3-6 tickets (minor consumption) in a year or so. Mostly because of their actions combined with really hard nose cops that want to stop everyone, bust everyone, breathalyze fifty people or more, etc. Remember having a sip can get you a ticket, but is a sip really a red flag, just because they got a ticket?

Either way people learn, and the main point of all this, is that it was years ago. Guys that have problems, can't stop. This isn't a club thing, it's mostly simply having it in their system type thing. Something that once 21, ceases to be a crime. (and some would say shouldn't be regardless if one is 18)

You have to always use your judgment, not just look at things black and white in these cases. Three SOUNDS bad, but aren't we all getting sick of the behavioral psychology crap that tries to force us into a set position based on nothing but a generic pattern applied to everything? I sure am.

I don't see Floyd as any different than any other average athlete. He isn't Tebow, but then again, even Tebow isn't as squeaky as the media allows him to be. Perception isn't reality, and we shouldn't let a manufactured perception about Floyd keep us or any team from taking any player.

The broken collarbone is a bit of a risk, but collarbone isn't a knee, so it shouldn't have any effect on his playing ability or in any way degrade it over time. Availability? Not an issue until it is.

Two games missed because of a knee injury three years ago, suggests to me it was either
a) small thing
b) precautionary

I would guess that if it was a knee problem that we should consider a problem it would have popped up again sometime later than 2008. Hasn't Fitz missed more time since then? Do we consider him injury prone? I don't think we should consider either injury prone, but as players can get some dings that might be best to sit a bit..

One hamstring tweak, and missed a game. Again maybe precautionary. If he missed a month or so because of a hamstring that would be more worrying.

All of these things are relatively minor, short duration, or injuries that shouldn't affect his ability whatsoever. The good thing is we don't see any lingering repeat type injuries. He hasn't blown a ACL or have his knees drained. Nothing about his back or neck. Nothing about concussions. As a WR nothing about shoulders, or even hands. Overall while not perfect, I'd say his injury status is good, but not great. Perfectly acceptable.

Fitz likes him, that should count for something. He's as much of a risk as anyone else. Maybe he's with us, probably somewhere else. Either way, I don't see why anyone should pass on the above reasons. There are far more reasons to pass on a guy, these aren't them.

It's all good though, everyone should be free to ask questions, so no problem there.

 

[joeshmo]

I'm more concerned about the injury history.

Missing one game in two years doesn't make for a bad injury history. Going back 3 years to find an issue is a little bit nit picking IMO

 

[Totally_Red]

Missing one game in two years doesn't make for a bad injury history. Going back 3 years to find an issue is a little bit nit picking IMO

The fact remains he missed time in three of his four seasons at Notre Dame. It has to be a consideration IMO. In this division he is going to be subject to much tougher, hard-hitting defenses than he faced in college.

 

[JeffGollin]

If Floyd comes in, helps improve Kolb's and Skelton's completion percentage to 65% and allows Fitz to catch 130 passes, increase his TD's by 30% and beat either Roberts' or Doucet's completion numbers by 25%, I'd say he'd be worth the risk.

But if he didn't do any better than Roberts or Doucet did a year ago, I'd say we blew the pick.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Part of the problem is he went to ND who has the much stricter honor code their students have to abide by.

Getting drunk underage is practically a way of life for any college athlete as well as most college students in general. Drunk driving is obviously not good anda red flag but I dont think that automatically makes you a bad "character" guy either. Theres a reason with 3 arrests that many draftniks aren't overly concerned.

Hopefully now that he would be getting paid, he can hire someone to drive him. Paging Stephen Williams.

 

[kerouac9]

Meh... Is Michael Floyd any more or less of a gamble than Julio Jones? Is he any more or less of a gamble than your average top-tier WR prospect?

Floyd fits what I would like to see the Arizona Cardinals' offense become (power running/play-action deep passing), but I don't think that vision gibes with what the Cards actually want to do. I think that Fitz would prefer to get more receptions and play more of the Boldin role, even if the Cards (smartly) want to keep him on the perimeter and let Doucet and Roberts get banged around on second-and-seven.

I think that Blackmon would actually be a better complement to Fitz than Floyd would, but hopefully if we can just continue giving Whis enough components for a power-rushing offense/give him Mike Mularkey's phone number, we can install an offensive system that actually matches the talent available.

 

[52brandon]

I'd prefer Blackmon, but would take Floyd in a heartbeat

 

[Duckjake]

Meh... Is Michael Floyd any more or less of a gamble than Julio Jones? Is he any more or less of a gamble than your average top-tier WR prospect?

Floyd fits what I would like to see the Arizona Cardinals' offense become (power running/play-action deep passing), but I don't think that vision gibes with what the Cards actually want to do. I think that Fitz would prefer to get more receptions and play more of the Boldin role, even if the Cards (smartly) want to keep him on the perimeter and let Doucet and Roberts get banged around on second-and-seven.

I think that Blackmon would actually be a better complement to Fitz than Floyd would, but hopefully if we can just continue giving Whis enough components for a power-rushing offense/give him Mike Mularkey's phone number, we can install an offensive system that actually matches the talent available.

Something that jumps out at me with Fitzgerald is that for the first time since 2006 he had fewer than 90 catches in 2011. But his yards per reception jumped 5 yards! Almost 3 yards per catch over his previous career high. I wonder what the deal was considering who was throwing the football for Arizona. 17.6 ypr is a really high # for a guy with 80 receptions. Andre Johnson for instance has a career high of 15.5. And its right there with Calvin Johnson's career best of 17.5 last season. Of WR with 80+ catches only Victor Cruz had a higher average per reception last season.

More Strange but True from Cardinal land.

 

[52brandon]

Something that jumps out at me with Fitzgerald is that for the first time since 2006 he had fewer than 90 catches in 2011. But his yards per reception jumped 5 yards! Almost 3 yards per catch over his previous career high. I wonder what the deal was considering who was throwing the football for Arizona. 17.6 ypr is a really high # for a guy with 80 receptions. Andre Johnson for instance has a career high of 15.5. And its right there with Calvin Johnson's career best of 17.5 last season. Of WR with 80+ catches only Victor Cruz had a higher average per reception last season.

More Strange but True from Cardinal land.

makes perfect sense to me. Fitz gets covered super tight right off the line and it takes him a bit to get open. He's still good enough to get open when the D is all over him

 

[pinetopred]

IMO he's not!!!

I think he has a solid NFL career...nothing spectacular. I still don't believe Floyd's 40 time translates onto the football field. I've seen Blackmon & Floyd over & over the last few years & Blackmon makes big plays in YAC which I've rarely seen from the ND star. Put on the tape & compare...

Some peeps like strawberry or vanilla ice cream, I like chocolate...to each their own opionion.

+1 watch Criner play he plays faster then he runs and Floyd plays slower then he runs so why not pick a guy in the 3rd or 4th who is very comparable.

 

[artp]

No. I think Floyd is a Fitz clone. He may be a good NFL WR, but we have the prototype. I am hoping teams immediately below us want WR M Floyd so we ca trade down.

 

[CtCardinals78]

Cards are going to have to trade up to get him and are probably going to have to give up quite a bit to get him. I love Fitz, but he also lobbied heavily for Kolb. Maybe he should let Whiz and co make this call.

 

[WildBB]

I think that Fitz would prefer to get more receptions and play more of the Boldin role, even if the Cards (smartly) want to keep him on the perimeter and let Doucet and Roberts get banged around on second-and-seven.

Exactly, D's have to commit two to his side every play to have any chance of containment there. Opens everything else up.

Can you imagine Floyd, Blackmon or Wright playing opposite, they can't double both.

 

[kerouac9]

Exactly, D's have to commit two to his side every play to have any chance of containment there. Opens everything else up.

Can you imagine Floyd, Blackmon or Wright playing opposite, they can't double both.

I honestly don't think that it's a talent problem at WR. I think that it's a talent problem at QB. Doucet and Roberts were open enough last year; Skelton couldn't find them, and Kolb was already running from his shadow.

I think that either Blackmon or Floyd will be better than either Doucet or Roberts (and I'm an avowed Doucet apologist), but neither is going to open Fitz to single coverage on the other side. Better QB play makes everyone on the offense better.

That's part of the reason why I'd wait on the offensive line upgrades and make sure that we have the talent for a Top 5 defense after this draft. We know most of those guys can play.

 

[Jetstream Green]

I honestly don't think that it's a talent problem at WR. I think that it's a talent problem at QB. Doucet and Roberts were open enough last year; Skelton couldn't find them, and Kolb was already running from his shadow.

I think that either Blackmon or Floyd will be better than either Doucet or Roberts (and I'm an avowed Doucet apologist), but neither is going to open Fitz to single coverage on the other side. Better QB play makes everyone on the offense better.

That's part of the reason why I'd wait on the offensive line upgrades and make sure that we have the talent for a Top 5 defense after this draft. We know most of those guys can play.

this

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I guess it comes down to whether you want the consensus #2 WR in a deep WR class or the consensus #2 OT in a weak OT class. Although I'm not a Reiff fan, logic says there will be a bigger dropoff to the lower rated OT's than WR's. Of course this is all moot if Ingram is on the board. Passing on Ingram is about the only thing the Cards could do that would hack me off.

 

[Totally_Red]

I guess it comes down to whether you want the consensus #2 WR in a deep WR class or the consensus #2 OT in a weak OT class. Although I'm not a Reiff fan, logic says there will be a bigger dropoff to the lower rated OT's than WR's. Of course this is all moot if Ingram is on the board. Passing on Ingram is about the only thing the Cards could do that would hack me off.

Reluctant agreement. Not a big Reiff fan, but he IS better than what we had at ORT last year and what we have on our current roster. For the long run, I'd rather plug David DeCastro in at right guard and move Adam Snyder to ORT or add a free agent there.
If the choice is Reiff, DeCastro or Michael Floyd that is a tough decision for the Cardinals, but it opens the possibility of trading down 2 positions with Philly if the Eagles covet a DL or Barron. You'd still be left with your choice of 2 of the 3.