Floyd becoming more complete threat

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Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

Tuesday afternoon, wide receiver Malcom Floyd was asked what routes he ran on the five passes he caught during Sunday night’s preseason opener.

“I caught a slant, a comeback, a dig…,” Floyd said. “I didn’t catch a go.”

Through his first years in the NFL, the 6-foot-5 wide receiver has taken advantage of his ability to out jump his opponent and win battles in the red zone. As he begins his fourth season with the Chargers, Floyd is pushing himself to be a more complete receiver, and his efforts are paying off.

“Obviously his biggest strength is to go straight and go up and get balls,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “The more his technique improves, the more he’ll be used to do a lot of different things. He’ll be asked to do more and more things every year. Really with the injury to Eric, he’s going to have to step up and run every route.”

Head Coach Norv Turner makes his case based on Floyd’s first catch against the Seahawks, a 13-yard gain late in the first quarter.

“The slant he caught was against hard press coverage,” Turner said. “He gave the guy a nice move and he got in there. I think he has improved in that area. I think in the past everyone saw him as a red zone, fade-runner type receiver. I think he’s worked hard to say, ‘I can do more than that.’”

Floyd hasn’t missed a practice this summer and he believes his health and the opportunity to take extra snaps in practice has been extremely valuable. His health also allowed him to make strides in the weight room, which will help him as he’s used more in traffic.

“Players grow into roles,” wide receivers coach James Lofton said. “He’s grown into his body a little bit since he’s been here. He’s put on 20 pounds. He should be able to do more things over the middle. Even though he has long legs, he has a little bit of quickness. He can get in and out of breaks on shorter routes and be an asset all over the field.”

With four offseasons under his belt, Floyd is much further along mentally than he’s ever been. That’s allowed him to play more instinctively and think less. He’s also focused on several techniques that have helped him get where he’s supposed to be quicker.

“Malcom is playing faster than he played on film last year and than he played during the spring,” Turner said. “He’s worked hard at being quicker with his feet. I believe he’s playing quicker with his feet and he’s doing a better job getting off the press.”

Floyd also credits natural progression and maturity. He’s picked up things from veteran teammates and built on them as he’s grown.

“You mature every season,” Floyd said. “You see things differently. The more I learn about this game, the more I realize how much I don’t know. As I’ve grown, I’ve gotten hungrier to keep growing. I’m learning more and I’m able to do more. I’m a big guy but I want to play like a small guy sometimes. Instead of just being fast or physical, I want to be able to mix up my arsenal. I want to be able to do more so I can help us win.”

With the Flo

Cornerback Drayton Florence continued his strong summer with an impressive outing Tuesday afternoon as the fifth-year pro batted down a pair of passes in practice. Turner has been more than pleased with what he’s seen from his starting left cornerback.

“I think Drayton has bought into what we’re doing,” Turner said. “He’s working hard to play the technique that we’re teaching. He’s been very attentive and alert. He’s playing at a high level. He’s having an outstanding camp.”

Florence is looking forward to Saturday evening’s preseason game at St. Louis because he knows he’s going to get tested.

“I love playing against the best, and that’s what Isaac (Bruce) and Torry (Holt) are,” Florence said. “It’s going to be good for us.”

Williams sits, Weddle practices

Defensive tackle Jamal Williams had a boot on his sprained foot as he watched practice, but safety Eric Weddle, who sprained his ankle Sunday night, was on the field with his teammates.

Others who didn’t practice Tuesday include linebacker Anthony Waters (knee), defensive end Igor Olshansky (groin), linebacker Marques Harris (shoulder), cornerback Steve Gregory (quad), linebacker Matt Wilhelm (calf), guard Erik Robertson (foot) and linebacker Jyles Tucker (concussion).

Mental reps

Although running back LaDainian Tomlinson didn’t play in Sunday night’s preseason game, he did feel like he was a part of it. LT was shown cheering and congratulating his teammates several times on the telecast.

“I always take that time to picture myself being in the game,” Tomlinson said. “Mentally I’m into the game. I get excited when things happen, I get upset when things happen. It’s like I’m playing the game, I’m just not getting hit or going through the things that the guys on the field are going through.”

Tomlinson will not play Saturday. The last time he participated in a preseason game was two years ago against the Rams. His only carry of the 2005 preseason was a 55-yard touchdown run in a 36-21 win over St. Louis at Qualcomm Stadium.

Down to one

Turner has altered the team’s training camp schedule a bit, and Wednesday will be the last time the team practices twice a day. Turner has also moved a handful of practices up two hours. Practices scheduled for 4-6 PM on Thursday (Aug. 15) this week and Tuesday and Wednesday next week (Aug. 21 and 22) will be held from 2-4 PM. Those three practices are open to the public.

Tuesday notes

- Safety Marlon McCree came up with an interception during team period.

- Weddle and tight end Antonio Gates continue to find themselves in some entertaining battles. Tuesday afternoon, Gates ducked under Weddle, who was in perfect position, to make a tough catch in traffic. The two shared a laugh at the end of the play.

- Linebacker Nick Roach, who Turner praised for his special teams play Sunday, broke up a pass during a red-zone drill.

- Rivers promised that Chargers fans will see a “crisper” team on Saturday than they saw during the opener. He’s also pleased the first team offense will be playing the entire first half.

“We’ll get to put a string of drives together,” Rivers said. “Sometimes when you only get two, it’s hard to gauge anything. With a half, we should be able to get into a rhythm and see if we can get in sync like we want to.”

Lenny Ignelzi, AP

Chargers fans are well aware of Malcom Floyd’s ability as a big target and red zone threat, but the Bolts’ wide receiver is working to become a more complete route runner and pass catcher.

	Training Camp: Tuesday Norv Turner Head Coach Norv Turner speaks to the media today about todays practice. Play
	Training Camp: Tuesday LaDainian Tomlinson Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson talks to the media about watching Sundays game from the sidelines and the new Madden video game that came out today. Play
	Training Camp: Tuesday Philip Rivers Quarterback Philip Rivers speaks to the media about last Sundays first preseason game and the more playing time he expects to get in St. Louis Saturday night. Play
	Sights and Sounds: Wide Receivers Sights and Sounds of the teams Wide Receivers practicing on August 9, 2007 during Training Camp at Chargers Park. Play