Fansided
Fansided

Arizona Cardinals Signing Jermaine Gresham Is Win-Win

By Erik Lambert

facebooktwitterreddit

Not every signing in NFL free agency seems like a natural fits, but in the case of tight end Jermaine Gresham choosing to join the Arizona Cardinals, it was obvious almost from the moment the pen hit the paper.

The primary problems for the Cardinals offense in 2014 centered around the quarterbacks, namely their inability to stay healthy.  However, finishing a close second in that race was how ineffective they were at tight end.  Leading the position was Rob Housler who had a gaudy 129 yards on nine receptions.  That isn’t going to cut it in the modern NFL.

It was painfully obvious this team needed another dimension on offense and Gresham offers it.  He’s big, moves well in space, has a wide catch radius, decent hands and is a proven target in the red zone (24 touchdowns in five seasons).  While no Gronkowski or Graham, he’s effective when used properly and Bruce Arians is the kind of coach that can get the most from him.

By that same token, it’s a prime opportunity for the 27-year old tight end.  He goes to a team where the competition is almost non-existent, which means he’ll play right away.  He’s under a good coaching staff with talented around him like Michael Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown that will pull defenses in other directions.  Lastly, he’s on a team that made the playoffs last year.  If he can find a way to be a heavy contributor to another run this year, that will help his price go up significantly for free agency in 2016.

It comes down to how healthy that back is after herniated disc surgery and what exactly Arians has planned for him.

More from NFL Mocks

Home/NFL Free Agency