said Bears general manager Ryan Pace. “Now you throw in his inside counter moves and the ability to go speed to power, it makes him difficult to defend.

“And he’s a really good run player, too. His strength has improved. His weight has improved. He feels very comfortable now, and he’s going to be a huge, huge player for us.”

Floyd has added about 10 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame, but at 251 pounds he still looks like an NBA small forward, so he should be able to continue to get bigger and stronger without losing the first-step quickness that makes him special.

Coach John Fox has seen Floyd grow physically and mentally so that he’s more prepared for the rigors of the NFL than he was a year ago when several injuries curtailed his progress.

“This is a different game,” Fox said. “It’s a different race. It’s like being a miler and now running a 2-mile. It takes a year to really develop a pro body and understand how to prepare for that physically.

“And then mentally he’s way more comfortable in what we’re doing. He’s not thinking and getting paralysis by analysis. He’s just cutting loose and playing.

“I’ve seen great progress in Leonard.”

A breakout season from Floyd would top the wish list of anyone hoping for a bounce-back season from the Bears.

• Follow Bob’s Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.