The Arizona Cardinals have Michael Floyd recovering after the wide receiver had surgery on his hand and now he will be out for about a month and this comes as Carson Palmer has been healthy in training camp after a knee injury last season and for fantasy football owners, players like John Brown, Andre Ellington, David Johnson and Jermaine Gresham could be sleepers this year.
The Cardinals are looking to make the playoffs again this season and if Carson Palmer can stay healthy they could have a good chance of getting back. According to NFL.com, Floyd had surgery on his hand after dislocating three fingers in training camp practice. Floyd could be out for between three to five weeks and that means he could be out for the first game of the season against the Saints, which is on September 13.
The Cardinals were looking for Floyd to be a solid number two next to Larry Fitzgerald and if he is out, it likely will be John Brown in the mix to take over the position. Floyd did not have a great year last season for the Cardinals or fantasy owners, putting up just 47 catches for 841 yards and six touchdowns. Floyd previously had 66 catches for 1054 yards the previous season and now he could miss time early on. Brown should get more looks and he could be a good option behind Fitzgerald to start the season.
Bruce Arians is looking to push Carson Palmer on offense in the passing game now that he is healthy again and the team also expects the running game to be better. Palmer said that his knee has "no restrictions" and Arians said that Palmer has looked stronger this year in camp, according to AZCardinals.com. The Arizona Cardinals have brought in free agent Jermaine Gresham on a one-year contract and heading into training camp and he could help Palmer in the passing game.
The team is ready to step forward on offense, as Palmer is healthy after knee surgery and the backfield has a solid one-two punch with starters Andre Ellington and rookie David Johnson. Ellington was banged up for part of last season and he is dealing with a hamstring issue and camp and that could help Johnson, as the Arizona Republic reports that he could be a good option as a dual threat out of the backfield.
The Cardinals have been looking for tight end help after losing John Carlson to retirement and Gresham was one of the most notable players left in free agency. According to Pro Football Talk, the Cardinals announced that the team signed the tight end to a one-year contract. Gresham previously had back surgery this offseason and that is why he remained on the market so long after playing for the Bengals. The Cardinals now have Gresham along with Darren Fells, Troy Niklas and Gerald Christian.
Gresham had interest from the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers this offseason, but now he has signed with the Cardinals. Gresham previously played with quarterback Carson Palmer in Cincinnati and that could give the quarterback a comfortable safety net at tight end for the offense. Gresham is an above average pass blocker and he also can be a consistent receiver after making 62 catches for 460 yards last season for the Bengals.
Check here for more on the Gresham deal and the Arizona Cardinals offseason moves.