Saints Training Camp: Floyd looks to revive career, Tate seeks to become ‘the bachelor’

The Saints may have found their “bachelor.”

Meanwhile, can a talented, former first-round pick remain clean and revive his once solid career in New Orleans?

On Tuesday evening, the Saints bolstered their receiving corps and their kick return game with the signings of veterans Michael Floyd and Brandon Tate.

Floyd, a former first-round pick (13th overall) of the Cardinals in 2012 is now 28.

He made his mark in his first four seasons with Arizona (2012-15), averaging better than 52 receptions per year for an average of 823 yards per season with 19 touchdown catches.

In his second season in the league, Floyd had his beat season with career-bests of 65 receptions for 1,041 yards and scored five touchdowns, averaging 16 yards per reception.

Beginning in 2016, Floyd began to slip. He split the season between Arizona and New England and posted just 37 catches for 488 yards, though he did have five touchdown catches. He was released by the Cardinals following a DUI arrest and failure to obey a police officer on Dec. 12 of 2016. He subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of extreme DUI. Floyd served a sentence of 24 days in jail and 96 days of home confinement, along with counseling. He also paid a $5,000 fine.

With the Vikings a year ago, Floyd missed the first four games of the season due to his violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy and virtually disappeared, similar to the year and career in New Orleans that Willie Snead had. Dealing with a calf injury, Floyd had just 10 catches for 78 yards with Minnesota.

Dating back to his college days, Floyd had three alcohol-related issues at Notre Dame as well. After a drunken driving charge the summer before his senior season, Floyd underwent counseling and made a pledge to avoid those who influenced his behavior.

For his career, Floyd has 256 receptions for 3,859 yards and 24 touchdowns.

One has to believe that Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis did due diligence in researching Floyd’s character. The duo has gone to great lengths to purge the roster of malcontents and players with off-the-field issues. Based on the Snead experience of a year ago, it is also clear that Payton and Loomis will have a short leash with Floyd or anyone venturing down the path Snead and Floyd have previously.

Floyd fits the mold of the type of receivers that Sean Payton and Curtis Johnson prefer.

Floyd is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. He joins the formidable group of Michael Thomas (6-3, 212), Cameron Meredith (6-3, 207), Tre’Quan Smith (6-2, 210) and even Brandon Coleman (6-6, 225) to form one of the biggest receiving groups in the league, presently.

Brandon Tate is of that ilk as well (6-1, 195).

A former third-round pick of the Patriots in 2009, Tate may be listed as a wide receiver but he specializes in kick and punt returns.

In his eight-year career, Tate, who turns 31 in October, has just 71 receptions for 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns.

A year ago with Buffalo, Tate tallied just six catches for 81 yards and a score.

As a primary return man, Tate has 200 punt returns for an average of 9.5 yards per return with one touchdown. He has 247 kickoff returns for an average of 23.8 yards and two scores.

In 2011 with the Bengals, Tate led the league with 51 punt returns. He played for New England in 2009 and 2010 before being cut and played four seasons with Cincinnati (2012-15) before being released. Tate played the last two seasons for Buffalo. Tate is the all-time punt return yards leader in Bengals history.

The Saints were looking for some depth at wide receiver in camp with Coleman being on the physical unable to perform list, Travin Dural out with a broken bone in his arm and rookie Eldridge Massington out with a sore leg.

If Tate still has game, he can win the job and solve the dilemma of who will handle return duties in 2018 for New Orleans. If he is not that man, there is certainly no harm done by bringing him in.