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Monday Musings: Larry Fitzgerald no longer No. 1 Cardinals receiver
August 04, 2014 10:57 AM
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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- There is no doubt receiver Larry Fitzgerald is loved by Arizona Cardinals fans, his name constantly being called out during practices and even more so after when it's time for players to sign autographs.
What's not to like? He's one of the all-time great Cardinals, likely on his way to the Hall of Fame, and happens to be one of the NFL's class acts, a player who gets what it takes to succeed on and off the field.
He's simply a pro in every way possible.
But there's also the sad reality that this could very well be Fitzgerald's last season with the Cardinals. He is scheduled to have a cap figure of $23.6 million next season, which is way too high for a No. 2 receiver.
Yes, No. 2.
For 11 years, Fitzgerald has been the go-to guy in the Arizona passing game, but that's now the job of third-year receiver Michael Floyd. I thought I was crazy thinking that Floyd would take over as the No. 1 receiver at some point this season, but after visiting with the Cardinals and talking to others around the league, I am not alone in that thinking.
"Floyd was the No. 1 guy late last season," one NFL general manager said.
Floyd has slimmed down and looks much quicker, much to the delight of the staff. Floyd caught 65 passes for 1,041 yards last season, while Fitzgerald caught 82 for 954 yards. The biggest difference was yards per catch, which, to me, is always a telling stat. Floyd averaged 16.0 ypc, while Fitzgerald was at 11.6 ypc.
I asked Floyd about taking that spot. He kind of smiled, but didn't really seem to want to stake a claim to it out of respect for Fitzgerald, which I understand. It's hard not to respect a player like Fitzgerald.
That puts the Cardinals in a tough spot. Loyalty can be a dangerous thing in the NFL. While team president Michael Bidwill has publicly stated he wants Fitzgerald to retire as a Cardinal, reality makes that a difficult task.
Under his current contract, Fitzgerald is essentially untradeable right now. He is scheduled to make base salaries of $15 million next season and $14.75 million in the final two years of the deal.
That's a lot of money for a player who hasn't had 1,000 yards receiving the past two seasons. Fitzgerald is still a good player, even if he isn't what he used to be, so it makes little sense to trade him now -- even if they could. Some league personnel people think he's slowing down.
When I watched him practice last week, he was still making plays -- just not down the field. But that's OK because Floyd is that guy now.
Fitzgerald likely will have to restructure his deal next year to stay with the team. Maybe a three-year deal that averages $6 million to $7 million, but even that might be high. He turns 31 this month and he was never a burner to begin with, and age is undefeated when it comes to NFL careers.
Fitzgerald told Arizona reporters he isn't worried about his contract, yet you hear some talk that he is concerned with being phased out. Floyd certainly is more dynamic now.
So I would advise Cardinals fans to enjoy seeing him in that No. 11 jersey this season. In all likelihood, he will be somewhere else in 2015, another reminder of how much the NFL is a business and why there is no room for sentiment -- nor should there be.
about 3 years ago no surprise at all.Floyd is a beast