Arizona Cardinals: Jermaine Gresham finally becoming target
By Scott Allen
Arizona Cardinals tight end Jermaine Gresham starting to pay dividends
Arizona Cardinals tight end Jermaine Gresham is finally playing the way many envisioned when the team signed the veteran tight-end during free agency in 2015. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
For a team that does not utilize the tight end in the passing game much, at least as a receiver first, they have had to rely more and more on Gresham. He had another good day on Sunday in the Cardinals 31-23 victory over the Washington Redskins.
Gresham caught five passes for 52 yards on Sunday. He didn’t score a touchdown like he did against the Atlanta Falcons last week. However a couple of his receptions were huge to keep drives alive.
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Gresham has 27 receptions for 242-yards and two touchdowns this season. He had 18 receptions all of 2015. Injury slowed him a bit last season.
Over the past two games, Gresham has hauled in 10 receptions. That is huge given the fact that receivers John Brown and Michael Floyd have struggled to make plays with their injuries and ineptness.
Normally the Cardinals prefer to utilize their tight ends for blocking first. The extra pass target for quarterback Carson Palmer the pass two weeks though have turned out to be a blessing.
The Cardinals lost tight ends Troy Niklas and Ifeanyi Momah to injury this season. Darren Fells has seemingly fallen back to a backup role.
Gresham came back on a one-year contract in the offseason. At this point the Cardinals should seriously consider bringing him back in 2017. This could be the start of what the Cardinals exactly needed from the tight end position.
The big worry when it comes to Gresham is his health. However as long as he does stay healthy, then the Cardinals need to continue to use him down the stretch as they continue to fight for their playoff lives.