The Arizona Cardinals have a new offensive system. If you are a fan of the team, you know this; you just haven’t seen how it will actually work with live players. Team OTAs and minicamps have been the only glimpse so far.
Everyone wants to see this new scheme in motion. Because the new head coach, Mike LaFleur, is the former OC with the Los Angeles Rams, perhaps watching some 2023, 2024, and 2025 Rams games to see what to expect.
RELATED: MCBRIDE VOTED SECOND-BEST TIGHT END
Thanks to modern technology,
full Rams games are available as easily as bringing up YouTube.
The Rams, as well as the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers, have basically the same offense with a twist here and there. Might as well throw in the Houston Texans as well. Notice anything regarding all of these teams? They are all playoff clubs. And their offense is the same one that Cardinals fans will welcome this year.
Every NFL season, an average of four teams make the postseason that sat home watching the playoffs from their own homes the previous year. The four-win New England Patriots went 13-4-0 last season, so it happens. Why not Arizona?
One thing that will be very apparent this upcoming season: This offense will use a ton of tight ends. 11 and 12 personnel will become the standard, with a third tight end on the field in 13 personnel for certain packages. Continuously.
Right now, Arizona has a top tight end in Trey McBride. That box is checked. But what’s behind him? Remember, at least two tight ends are needed for almost the entire game. Then, a third one will trot out on certain plays. Who?
Currently, there are seven tight ends on the training camp roster. Most likely, the coaching staff will retain four after the final cut at the conclusion of camp. From there, TE2 will become a good battle in camp with Tip Reiman and Elijah Higgins (6’-3”, 245 pounds).
Reiman (6’-5”, 270 pounds) is just a skinny offensive lineman. This dude is a big boy who can catch, along with his superpower, his ability to block. He is also very smart, having majored in kinesiology at the University of Illinois. Which makes a lot of sense since his goal after his NFL career is to become a strength and conditioning coach.
Editor’s note: We had to look up what kinesiology is. We just look smart.
What the Cardinals have in Reiman is a very physical tight end who is an exceptional run blocker. He has functional strength with obvious elite size. If he ate Girl Scout cookies, peanut butter sandwiches, and drank whole milk every night, he could easily play offensive tackle.
What is an oddity regarding Reiman is that he was clocked at 4.64 in the 40.
In his rookie year, he was listed as the third tight end on the depth chart behind McBride and Higgins and was assigned to special teams’ duties. But in Week 1, he played on 20 offensive snaps as well as on special teams. So, the coaching staff used him right away. Reiman played in all 17 games and started nine as a rookie, some games at fullback.
Reiman is a guy who is always in the weight room and works hard during practice sessions. He likes to work within his own routine.
He came out of last year’s training camp as TE2. Reiman played in the opener but missed the second game due to an ankle issue. His season came to an end in the Week 5 contest against the winless Tennessee Titans. He injured his right ankle while trying to corral a catch. He ended up on season-ending IR.
This gave him time to make some new pottery. Yeppers, his favorite method to unwind is working with clay and a kiln.
Yes, he’s just a blocking tight end. But it altered how the Cardinals ran the ball and was considered a major loss, which was a long story in itself with both starting RBs injured and suddenly on IR with Reiman. Backups and practice squad guys filled the void, while Higgins and Travis Vokolek were called upon to fill Reiman’s cavity.
For this year’s training camp, Reiman has recovered well and is expected to be on the field when the Cardinals kick off camp. Keep in mind, he isn’t a receiving tight end, although he has good hands. Despite playing in 21 games in his two seasons, he only had 12 targets and nine catches. At the University of Illinois, he played in 44 games over four years with just 41 receptions for 420 yards.
LaFleur could certainly change this, especially in the short passing game. Despite having a large size difference with both height and girth, Reiman struggles to gain separation and to quickly flip his hips. He is a load to bring down, but defenders have figured out how to grab his legs, and with multiple tacklers, he goes down pretty easily. And he has issues with overly aggressive linebackers or safeties.
Reiman is a former linebacker, so he knows which routes work best at the second level. He has a solid base and effective hand usage with the ability to read a defense.
LaFleur will need to develop a bigger route tree for Reiman because currently, it’s pretty limited. He wasn’t used much in the passing game while at Illinois, and that continued while with Arizona. But under this new offense, he will be required to be more involved in the passing game, other than line blocking or taking out a defender at the second level.
Reiman can be a Red Zone beast. He is a prototypical in-line tight end capable of anchoring with the offensive line.
Reiman is known for being a hard worker, kind, a good teammate, and selfless. He is also a Christian. He went to play college football as a walk-on, and beginning his second year, he had already earned a scholarship. That in itself describes his work ethic and learning abilities.
You can bet with Reiman’s size that LaFleur has a good plan for him. Combining him with McBride is going to be a fun thing to watch on Sundays.
