The Arizona Cardinals have a lot of work to do in this year’s training camp. Very few NFL clubs are installing a new offense this year, but the Cardinals are. So, a lot of time and effort will be geared toward getting the scheme installed where everyone is on the same page.
This is one thing that training camp is for. Plus, new veterans and rookies that haven’t been to the desert yet and need to become acclimated to the area, its climate, and the task at hand.
RELATED: EXPECTATIONS FOR TIP REIMAN
Now
that training camp is on us, let’s look at the tight end room.
This year’s group can’t just be Trey McBride and nothing else. There should be a lot of improvement with this group even though some members became injured, which is not their fault. But other players must step up and be productive and not just a jersey nameplate.
There are seven tight ends in camp. New this year are Teagan Quitoriano from the Atlanta Falcons, former San Francisco 49er Kenny Yeboah, and undrafted rookie Jameson Geers.
Cardinals’ TE depth chart
- Starting tight end: Trey McBride
- TE2: Tip Reiman
- TE3: Elijah Higgins
- TE4: Kenny Yeboah, Teagan Quitoriano, Rivaldo Fairweather, Jameson Geers
Best expectations?
McBride (6’-4”, 246 pounds) is a beast. The entire league knows what his skill set is. This new offense is predicated on the short passing game and running the ball. That falls right into McBride’s wheelhouse. He has gone from 104 targets to 111 and 169 last season.
Marvin Harrison, Sr. has the record for the most targets in a single season with 205. If Vegas is putting a line on McBride breaking that plateau, take the over. 126 catches last year; take that a notch up to over 150 on his way to a First Team All-Pro nod. Truly, this Rams/49ers offense elevates the tight end position. Who is the highest-paid tight end? Hint: Plays for the Niners.
Now comes the tricky part. This new offense needs a minimum of three good tight ends. That is mandatory. Tip Reiman (6’-5”, 271 pounds) hasn’t been used to catching the ball in college, but he is actually a very good receiver. In past offenses, he wasn’t thrown the ball, but in this new offense he can expect to gain 500-600 yards. And since he is just shy of being an offensive tackle as far as body size, he is an exceptional blocker.
So, who comes next? Who takes the fourth and final roster spot for tight ends? There are five candidates, and training camp will reveal which two.
This group can shine if the correct quarterback is found early enough.
Worst case?
McBride is pretty durable, so that shouldn’t become an issue. If his backup and TE3 become injured, this offense will spit and sputter.
Reiman had a horrible injury last year. Elijah Higgins (6’-3”, 245 pounds) is really a good play on his own. He could very well be paired with McBride with Reiman the third guy. But Higgins will need more than the 37 targets he received last year. Throw him the ball. He has good hands, but the knock on him is pretty huge. He doesn’t get separation from his linebacker or safety.
The worst-case scenario this year is what happened last season: it was McBride, and basically nothing else with this group. This offense will live and die with the tight end room.
2026 version?
This group will become the shining star of this new offense. Cardinals’ fans will soon know every tight end on the roster.
A steady flow of short passes will become the tight end’s resume. This new offense doesn’t throw deep much, but the short passing game along with a steady run game will move the sticks into the Red Zone. Yards for stats won’t be generated in large chunks but in steady increments, which fits in the tight end wheelhouse tremendously.
Higgins can be another huge receiving target in this offense. He is not huge like Reiman, but he has a large catch radius and can be a mismatch with a safety. His route running is sparse, and yes, he lacks top-end speed, but he knows how to get to the high point of the throw and has decent YAC numbers.
Nobody is asking Higgins to be McBride 2.0, but he will surprise a lot of folks in this offense with Reiman a tremendous effort in blocking. Higgins paired with McBride will provide an explosiveness that can stretch the defense down the seam. He is just waiting to be unleashed.
As far as the others, Kenny Yeboah (6’-4”, 250 pounds) is the only one with NFL experience, having played for the New York Jets for four years. He wasn’t thrown the ball much either.
The roster will rely heavily on McBride and Higgins on the receiving end, with Reiman as an in-line and downfield blocker. The only questions will be who will be the last player who makes the final roster, and how many will they keep on the practice squad.
And how will they all be used in the game plan?
