FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that they have claimed WR Michael Floyd off waivers from Arizona. In addition, the Patriots have released WR Griff Whalen.
Floyd, 27, was originally drafted in the first round (13th overall) by Arizona out of Notre Dame in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was released by Arizona on Dec. 14, 2016. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder, has played in 76 NFL games with 46 starts and has registered 242 receptions for 3,739 yards and 23 touchdowns. He has also played and started in three postseason games, adding seven receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Floyd played in 13 games with seven starts for Arizona in 2016 and registered 33 receptions for 446 yards and four touchdowns.
Whalen, 26, was signed by the Patriots on Dec. 9, 2016. He originally signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a rookie free agent out of Stanford on April 30, 2012. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, suffered an injury during the 2012 preseason and spent his rookie season on Injured Reserve. From 20013-15, Whalen had several stints on the Colts 53-man roster and practice squad. Over three seasons with Indianapolis, he posted 45 receptions for 487 yards and three touchdowns. His most productive season on offense came in 2013 when he caught 24 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Whalen also saw action on special teams, with 46 punt returns for 376 yards and 25 kickoff returns for 645 yards. He began the 2016 season with Miami and was released at the end of training camp on Sept. 4, and signed with the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 19. Whalen played in eight games for the Chargers and caught two passes for 22 yards on offense and returned four kickoffs for 56 yards. He was released by San Diego on Nov. 22.
