Michael Floyd will not approach contract year any differently

Over the course of four NFL seasons, Michael Floyd has seemed to fluctuate from looking like a dynamic, No. 1 receiver some games to being more of a No. 2 or 3 in others.

He has posted just one 1,000-yard season (2013) and has never tallied more than six touchdowns in a season, but when he’s on, the former first-round pick out of Notre Dame is virtually uncoverable.

With the 2016 season being the final year on his rookie contract, it would certainly behoove the 26-year-old to have his biggest season yet, but his impending free agency has done nothing to change Floyd’s mindset.

“I go into the season same as I always do every single season,” he told Bickley and Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Tuesday. “I kind of put the contract aside, knowing people say it’s a big year, stuff like that.

“If I just maintain, doing what I’m doing, on and off the field, I think that side of everything — the business side — will take care of itself.”

Part of the intrigue revolving around Floyd’s contract status is that fellow receiver Larry Fitzgerald is also set to become a free agent and back in 2012, when the Cardinals made Floyd the 13th overall selection in the NFL Draft, many viewed him as the player who would ultimately replace the future Hall of Famer.

In theory, that could still be the case — so long as the Cardinals see Floyd as a true No. 1 receiver and, of course, Fitzgerald does not return next season.

Neither of those are guaranteed, though, and with Fitzgerald, John Brown and David Johnson, among others, on the roster and getting the ball, the statistics may not convey the type of player Floyd actually is.

While that could be frustrating for a young player — especially one who is in a contract year — Floyd has no concerns.

“I think the ball is going to get distributed with the guys we have on our team, and that’s skill players all around,” he said. “I think when the time comes for you to get the ball, you’ve got to make the best of it because it could be a big game for the running backs for us blocking as wide receivers, or it could be a big game for me, too. I think for that part, you’ve just got to play your role and dive right into it.”

Last season, Floyd topped the 100-yard mark five times, including a season-best performance in Seattle where he caught seven passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. In a way, his 2015 can be viewed as two separate seasons.

In the first seven games, he caught just 16 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns; in his final eight, he tallied 36 catches for 636 yards and four scores.

In two playoff games, he caught six passes for 63 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

While he wasn’t particularly impressive in the early going, the Floyd who finished the season was one of the best wideouts in all of football.

His struggles could probably be partially attributed to a hand injury he suffered during training camp, but really, Floyd believes the uptick had more to do with opportunity.

“I think that’s always good for us wide receivers, when you know the ball is coming into your hands,” he said. “And also the gameplan, the defenses, what they show on film and what they would do to us, we made some adjustments and it got me the ball.”

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