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Arizona Cardinals: Jermaine Gresham, Troy Niklas being activated

By Scott Allen

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Arizona Cardinals get a couple of tight ends back to practice on Monday

Just like that, the Arizona Cardinals are at full strength at tight end.  According to azcardinals.com’s Darren Urban, the Cardinals are activating tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Troy Niklas on Monday.  Gresham was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list last week and Niklas was placed on the non-football injury list.

Whatever was keeping them from practicing has been resolved, at least for now it appears.  Gresham was signed last week as a free agent after spending his first five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Niklas is going into his second NFL season with the Cardinals.

Many people were already throwing in the towel on Gresham when they saw him go on the PUP list last week.  However as I said to some of those people, it is only a temporary list.  In the preseason players placved on that list can come off at anytime.

I wasn’t surprised to see Gresham go on the PUP list last week but I am somewhat surprise he is coming off so soon.  As for Niklas he fought injuries off and on last season that carried into the offseason.  I was surprised to also see him come off today so soon.

The Cardinals looked like they were getting thin at tight end over the weekend after Darren Fells went down on Saturday with cramps.  That kept him from practicing for the most part on Sunday, although he did get in some reps.

If the Cardinals can stay healthy at tight end it certainly can take the load off the receivers and even the running backs at times.  They don’t need superstars but they do need productivity.  More so in a Bruce Arians offense, they need to be there for blocking purposes as well.  If you can’t block, you can’t be a tight end for the Cardinals.  It’ll be good to see Gresham and Niklas in practice today.

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