Arizona Cardinals

Should 2017 Arizona Cardinals include Jermaine Gresham?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Jermaine Gresham may be showing the Arizona Cardinals that the tight end can be an integral piece of a successful offense

It’s no secret that Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians loves to throw the ball. His offense is known for its big plays, lengthy passes downfield that allow the squad to score in a hurry.

But since Arians implemented his scheme in 2013, the tight end position has been ignored. It hasn’t been ignored in the run game, as the tight ends are regularly given blocking assignments. But as part of the passing game, they’ve had very little impact.

Jermaine Gresham is trying to change all that. The seven-year pro has caught fire lately, scoring a touchdown in each of the last two games. It’s seems he’s being targeted more, possibly because the wide receivers have underachieved big-time.

Gresham signed with Arizona in 2015 after five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. But coming off of offseason back surgery, his impact on the offense was minimal. He finished with 18 receptions for 223 yards and one touchdown, his lowest output since entering the league.

He got off to another slow start this season, but lately has seemed much more comfortable in his role. He has already surpassed his 2015 reception total, with 22 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns.

Like a good number of his teammates, Gresham is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2017. Will the Cardinals front office want him to return? Will Gresham even want to re-sign with Arizona again?

Those questions are hard to answer at this time. The team has been a disappointment so far, so that may have an impact on which direction they wanna go in. Do they take another shot at a championship by retaining veterans, or do they tear the roster down and re-build?

General manager Steve Keim will have many tough decisions to make in the upcoming months. What to do with a talented veteran like Gresham will be one of them.