TEMPE, Ariz. -- When the Arizona Cardinals spent the 13th overall pick in 2012 on Michael Floyd, they thought they were drafting their future No. 1 receiver.
At some point, they figured, Larry Fitzgerald would pass the torch.
Floyd fit the bill as the heir apparent. He was 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds with 4.4 speed. He was the type of receiver a scientist would build in a lab -- the prototypical No. 1 receiver. When the Cardinals drafted him four years ago, under their previous regime led by then-coach Ken Whisenhunt, they looked past three alcohol-related incidents involving police in college, including one DUI. Talent, in Floyd’s case, trumped all.
But Floyd’s career never panned out, and his time in Arizona ended prematurely on Wednesday when the Cardinals cut him two days after he was arrested on charges of DUI and disobeying an officer in Scottsdale.
He had one 1,000-yard season and never emerged out of Fitzgerald’s shadows as a true No. 1.
The signs started even before his rookie year.
A couple months after Floyd was drafted, Fitzgerald called him out on Twitter for missing a workout, taking a jab at Floyd’s college run-ins with the law.
As a rookie, Floyd started three games but played in all 16, catching 45 passes for 562 yards and two touchdowns.
When Bruce Arians was hired as the Cardinals head coach in 2013 and took over the offense, Floyd began to blossom. He had 1,041 yards and five touchdowns on 65 catches that season. In Arians’ pass-heavy vertical scheme, Floyd was the ideal fit to stretch defenses along the sideline and out-jump undersized defensive backs to muscle his way to a catch. The highlight of his second season was a 31-yard touchdown catch in the final minutes at Seattle to propel the Cardinals to a win over the Seahawks.
In 2014, Floyd was hampered by a groin injury and, while playing mainly with backup quarterback Drew Stanton, had 841 yards and six touchdowns on 47 receptions. In a wild-card loss to Carolina, Floyd caught one pass for minus-12 yards.
With Palmer back in 2015, Floyd was poised to have a breakout year -- and would’ve if a freakish and gruesome hand injury suffered in training camp had not slowed him. He caught just eight passes in his first five games while recovering, including three games with one catch and another none. But then Floyd started showing signs of his potential. In his final eight games that season, he had five 100-yard games -- one of the most dominating stretches of the season. Only six players had more 100-yard games than Floyd last season. Had he not been injured, Floyd likely would’ve topped 1,000 yards in 2015.
Heading into this season, which was made possible by the Cardinals picking up a team option, the expectations for Floyd were as high as they’ve been in his career. He was returning as a key component on the most powerful offense in the league with an MVP-caliber quarterback.
What could go wrong? It turns out everything.
It came at the worst possible time: Floyd was in a contract year. And he did the worst thing a player can do: Floyd pressed.
Floyd had a case of the drops all year and a team-high five when he was released. He had two games without any catches and was on pace to finish the season with a career low in catches and yards. All the while, he was dealing with a lingering hamstring injury. He had just one 100-yard game and more often than not was a non-factor.
When he needed to shine most, Floyd was dim. He wasn’t himself this year. He didn’t live up to expectations.
With the exception of 2013, he never did. And now, the Michael Floyd era, at least for the Cardinals, is over.