The Arizona Cardinals didn’t use tight ends much in the passing attack in 2019, but head coach Kliff Kingsbury gradually used the tight end more and more in his offense last year – whether that was just due to adapting his offense with more time in the league or potentially just what their personnel dictated, we are not sure.
Maxx Williams signed a two-year contract extension, but it would make some sense for Arizona to fill another tight end spot with Charles Clay being a free agent now, even with Dan Arnold’s late-season performance. Here are a few options:
Austin Hooper
Hooper likely priced himself out of Arizona’s price range after a career year (75 receptions, 787 yards, 6 TDs). Given that Steve Keim is not wanting to break the bank for every free agent, and that he has some suitors (such as the Packers and Patriots perhaps), it seems unlikely that Arizona would pursue Hooper:
Hunter Henry
Henry might also be somewhat pricey, but given his history of injuries, his price tag might be lower than Hooper.
Henry has been linked to getting the franchise tag, but if he doesn’t he may be a good target for the Cards to pursue as a potentially more complete tight end than Hooper:
Eric Ebron
Ebron has had quite the stay in Indianapolis (99 receptions, 1125 yards and 16 TDs in 2 years) after some underwhelming years in Detroit. He would be an ideal move tight end, but perhaps Arizona is satisfied with Dan Darnold.
Still, Ebron has great upside as a receiver and mismatch creator, which is something that Kliff Kingsbury would no doubt covet.
Vance McDonald
If there’s an underrated fixture in this year’s free-agent tight end class, it might be McDonald, who has flashed enough in previous stints with Pittsburgh and San Francisco that he might be worth a mid-tier contract.
At 30, McDonald surprisingly does not have a lot of wear and tear, and would seem to fill the Cardinals need for a probably number one TE without costing a pretty penny.
Other possibilities
Charles Clay performed well at times last year and could be brought back. Ricky Seals-Jones could also be brought back after a brief stay in Cleveland.
Another intriguing option would be Tyler Eifert, but his injury history is quite long and quite frankly a huge red flag. When healthy he has been productive.
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Ep. 260
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