The New England Patriots bolstered their receiving corps Thursday, claiming wide receiver Michael Floyd off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals.
To make room for Floyd, the Patriots released wide receiver Griff Whalen. Whalen signed with New England last Friday and was inactive for Monday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Floyd, a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2012, is in the midst of the worst season of his career. Through 13 games, he’s caught just 33 passes on 71 targets for 446 yards and four touchdowns. He had tallied at least 840 receiving yards in each of the previous three seasons, including a career-high 1,041 in 2013.
The Cardinals released Floyd on Wednesday, two days after Scottsdale, Ariz., police officers found him asleep behind the wheel of his car during the early hours of Monday morning. The 27-year-old was arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence, one count of obstructing a roadway and one count of failure to obey a police officer.
Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald on Thursday expressed his disappointment with Floyd’s release. Fitzgerald said despite Floyd’s poor numbers this season, he believes his former teammate would be a “great pickup for whoever lands him.”
“You got a young guy who’s hungry,” Fitzgerald said, via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss. “He’s eager to make plays on a contract year. He’s got a chip on his shoulder now — not that he didn’t already have one but he’s got a bigger one. I hope he goes and makes a deep playoff run.”
The Patriots visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
