John Brown had an excellent rookie season for the Cardinals last year, but his potential is capped by being behind another pair of talented wideouts, Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. But as always in the NFL, things happen that can alter those prospects.
Floyd dislocated three fingers on his hand, and is slated to miss anywhere from three to six weeks. That knocks him out for the entire exhibition slate, and his status for Week 1 can also be considered in jeopardy.
The team website says Brown would be elevated into that No. 2 spot, and there's a lot of potential there. Neither Fitzgerald nor Floyd reached 1,000 yards a year ago, but that was with Carson Palmer playing in just six games. All three wideouts had a 100-yard game and a pair of TD catches in Palmer's six games.
Arizona has other wide receivers, including Jaron Brown, Brittan Golden and J.J. Nelson. But John Brown is the true breakout candidate.
There were reports that Floyd was available in a trade around draft time. If true, it raises the possibility that Brown, with a strong preseason, could take that No. 2 job and keep it even after Floyd is healthy. That definitely makes him a player to watch the rest of this month.
--Andy Richardson
