Report: Vikings Interested in WR Michael Floyd

  |  
May 3, 2017
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The NFL draft may be over, but the fun is just beginning.

According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, the Minnesota Vikings have taken interest in former Arizona Cardinals first-round pick and Minnesota native Michael Floyd. Matthew Coller of 1500 ESPN noted Wolfson’s report in a recent article analyzing the prospect of Minnesota adding the troubled wide receiver.

Wolfson has discussed Minnesota’s interest in the Cretin-Derham Hall high school alumnus both on Twitter and periodically on his podcast “The Scoop” over the past several days, as noted by Vikings enthusiast Andrew Renschen:

https://twitter.com/InfraRen/status/859394363960569856

Floyd, who was released by Arizona two days after the former No. 13 overall picked was arrested for driving while intoxicated, finished the 2016 season with the New England Patriots. He recorded four receptions, 42 yards and one touchdown in two games with the Patriots but was inactive for their historic come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl.

The former Notre Dame standout has since generated very little reported interest during free agency, but ESPN’s John Clayton may have cracked the code. Floyd’s well-documented DUI arrest ultimately resulted in a court-ordered 24-day jail sentence, which effectively hit the pause button on the wide receiver’s future.

“[Michael] Floyd’s free-agency move was put on hold while he served a 24-day jail sentence,” Clayton noted. “Interest should pick up soon for the former first-round pick.”

Interest in Floyd, as expected, has picked up recently with Wolfson also reporting that the Washington Redskins could also be honing in on the red-zone mismatch.

Minnesota, which has been plagued by red zone inefficiency in recent seasons, selected mismatch Virginia Tech “tight end” Bucky Hodges during the sixth round of the draft, but Floyd’s 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame would still be a welcomed addition to a receiving corps that has lacked his talent since Sidney Rice departed for the Seattle Seahawks after the 2010 season.

Larry Fitzgerald paves the way for a Michael Floyd touchdown against Minnesota in 2015.

Floyd’s size and physicality has created issues for defensive backs throughout his career, particularly in one-on-one jump-ball situations in contained spaces — such as the red zone. In fact, 2016 was the first year since Floyd’s rookie campaign that he failed to register at least five touchdowns.

Minnesota has plenty of talent on a wide receiver depth chart led by Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, but the group lacks certainty in the physical, big-body pass-catcher department. Returning Floyd to the state where it all began — at the very least — would allow the Vikings to be more patient with soon-to-be second-year wide receiver and 2016 first-round pick Laquon Treadwell while still setting quarterback Sam Bradford up with every weapon he needs to take the Pat Shurmur’s offense to the next level.

Update: Vikings Territory has confirmed the report that Minnesota is interested in the prospect of signing Floyd. The Vikings have been in cellular contact with the former Cardinal wide receiver periodically over the past 48 hours, but no official contract offer has been made yet.