FOXBORO, Mass. — Logan Ryan didn’t spend much time covering Michael Floyd during the New England Patriots’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. But he might know the wide receiver’s game better than anyone in the New England locker room.
“I train with Michael Floyd out in Arizona,” the Patriots cornerback said Friday morning, one day after the team claimed Floyd off waivers. “I’m familiar with him. He’s a good guy. I’m happy he’s here, and I’m sure he’s hungry for a second chance.”
Ever since being drafted by the Patriots in 2013, Ryan has trained with Floyd at the Fischer Institute in Phoenix. Floyd was drafted one year earlier, going 13th overall to the Cardinals in 2012.
“He’s a big guy,” Ryan said when asked for a scouting report on his new teammate. “A big-bodied receiver. But he’s not just a big guy playing receiver. He’s definitely got a lot of receiver traits as in natural hands, he’s really good at tracking the deep ball, he’s got good feet for a guy his size. So I think the size of him is a little bigger than people expect, and how well he moves for his size and how he gets in and out of breaks and stuff like that is pretty impressive. You can tell why he had so much success in this league and in college.”
Floyd, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, has had success during his five years in the NFL, but this season has been a struggle for him. After tallying more than 840 receiving yards in each of the previous three seasons — including a career-high 1,041 in 2013 — he’s managed just 446 yards on 33 catches through 13 games.
The 27-year-old also was arrested earlier this week on a DUI charge, prompting the Cardinals to release him.
“Off the field, he’s a real good guy,” Ryan said. “I know he was excited about this year. I know he put a lot of work in, so I’m excited that he gets a chance to do something with it and maybe, when he gets here, play in some big games.”
Floyd will travel with the Patriots to Denver, coach Bill Belichick confirmed, but it’s unclear whether he’ll play Sunday against the Broncos. Veteran wide receivers have struggled in the past to grasp the Patriots’ complex playbook, but Ryan said work ethic won’t be an issue for his offseason training partner.
“Coming (to) a new team, I’m sure there will be some type of adjustment,” Ryan said. “This is a tough place to just transition to. I know a lot of guys aren’t used to how we do things here. But he’s a good football player, and he’s a good guy. I train with this guy the months out of the year that we’re not even in season. When a lot of guys would be just relaxing, we’re in Arizona trying to get the best out of each other and going hard every day. So I know he’s willing to do that, willing to put that into it, and I think that goes a long way.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
