Written by Connor Orr at NFL.com
Michael Floyd’s short foray into unemployment has ended.
The maligned former first-round pick is signing with the Minnesota Vikings after a quiet free agency, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday citing sources familiar with the situation. Floyd, 27, most recently played with the New England Patriots. He was dismissed from the Arizona Cardinals back on Dec. 14 — two days after he was arrested on drunken driving charges in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Scottsdale police told NFL.com at the time that Floyd was “unconscious behind the wheel of his running vehicle at the intersection of Camelback Road and Goldwater Blvd.” He was pulled over by police just before 3 a.m. that morning.
Rapoport noted that Floyd’s contract buffers the Vikings from many risks. The heavily-incentivized deal is worth $1.5 million for one year, but could be worth as much as $6 million.
Floyd caught 33 balls for 446 yards and four touchdowns over his final 13 games with the Cardinals, and added an additional four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown while with the Patriots.
The move will obviously be applauded by Vikings fans looking for more punch offensively. The team relied heavily on Stefon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph and Adam Thielen during the first year of the Sam Bradford era, though none produced a 1,000-yard season. Laquon Treadwell, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, appeared in just nine games, catching one pass for 15 yards.
Floyd’s speed and imposing frame add a different dimension for the Vikings. During his short stint with the Patriots, he also revealed his willingness to block aggressively downfield — welcome news for the team’s brand-new running back tandem of Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray.
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