Tight end has been pleasant surprise for Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Tight end Dan Arnold may have secured a spot on the Arizona Cardinals roster with his impressive play over the past few weeks
Back on December 5th, the Arizona Cardinals made a waiver-wire claim that most observers paid little attention to. The playoff-bound New Orleans Saints parted ways with a pass-catching tight end, and the general manager of the Cardinals pounced. If early indications are correct, the acquisition of Dan Arnold may turn out to be one of Steve Keim’s most underrated moves of 2019.
In the three games he has appeared in for Arizona, the tall and slender Arnold has managed to make an impression on Kliff Kingsbury. The club’s head coach, who just happens to double as the squad’s play-caller, seems to be intrigued by his new offensive toy. So much so, in fact, that Arnold could very well become a vital part of Kingsbury’s “Air Raid” attack in 2020 and beyond.
Last Sunday, during the Cards season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the 24-year old turned in the best performance of his young career. The 2017 undrafted free agent was targeted six times, hauling in four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Arnold averaged 19.0 yards per reception during the contest, an outstanding number that is more on par with a wide receiver than a tight end.
Actually, Arnold did enter the NFL as a wideout back in ’17, when he was inked to a three-year, $1.66 million deal by the Saints. In 2018, head coach Sean Payton and his staff moved the 6’6, 220 pounder to the tight end position. Arnold showed promise at the new spot, tallying 14 catches for 175 yards and a score in 12 appearances for New Orleans.
Arnold made his Cardinals debut on December 15th during a victory over the Cleveland Browns. His lone reception during that matchup was a spectacular, six-yard touchdown grab from quarterback Kyler Murray. The following week, during a win over the Seattle Seahawks, Arnold caught one ball for 20 yards on three targets.
There’s a very good possibility that Arnold will be an essential part of Arizona’s plans going forward. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville product is under contract for an incredibly reasonable salary of $660,000 in 2020. At that price, Arnold could easily turn out to be one of the biggest bargains on the Cardinals next season.