SAN DIEGO -- One of the NFL's elite offenses regained a big-play receiver on Friday when Malcom Floyd and the Chargers agreed on a two-year contract. Terms of the deal weren't released.
Floyd, 6-foot-5 and deft at snatching passes above defenders, averaged 19.4 yards per catch last year and led San Diego's wide receivers with 37 receptions despite missing five games with a hamstring injury.
"He was like a human vacuum machine," backup quarterback Billy Volek said. "Any ball that was put his way, he went up and got it."
The Chargers were without Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson for training camp and most of the 2010 season. Their offense still ended up second in the NFL in both passing yards and passer rating. The only starter missing from the offense that also led the NFL in total yardage last season is running back Darren Sproles, who signed with the Saints. In his 11 games last season, Floyd had six touchdown catches, only three fewer than his career total in 51 games before last season.
"He really stretched defenses," Volek said.
Floyd rejoins a veteran-laden offense that welcomed back Jackson on Thursday.
Thursday, Jackson ad-libbed on a broken play and caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers.
"That's seven years," Rivers said.
Jackson and Rivers are in their seventh season together, giving them a sense of how the other will react when a play doesn't work out.
Tight end Antonio Gates is back for his eighth season with the club, and Floyd started his NFL career with the Chargers in 2004 as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming. Floyd had made only five starts five years into his career, but supplanted Chris Chambers as the No. 2 receiver in 2009 and caught 45 passes for a team that went 13-3 and won a fourth consecutive AFC West title.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
