Joseph Fauria to Cardinals: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Tight end Joseph Fauria burst onto the scene during the 2013 NFL season, and the Arizona Cardinals are banking on a return to form after his 2014 season was cut short due to injury. 

The Cardinals confirmed the deal on Thursday, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network the first to report the agreement. 

The Detroit Lions cut Fauria following their final preseason game, but there's no denying he has the athletic credentials necessary to succeed in a pass-happy NFL. At 6'7'' and 259 pounds, he assumes the form of the prototypical modern tight end.

"He has a unique skill set, and when you're not able to utilize everything that's available to you, obviously you have to find other ways to do it," Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said, according to MLive.com's Kyle Meinke. "So he brings to the table a little something that you can't teach. He has height and he can position himself, particularly in the red zone, extremely well."

Despite being used situationally throughout the 2013 season, Fauria recorded seven touchdown grabs during that 16-game stretch. That mark ranked tied for sixth overall, with Jimmy Graham, Vernon Davis, Tony Gonzalez, Julius Thomas and Jason Witten the only tight ends who broke the plane more often that year. 

However, Fauria didn't follow up with similar success last season as he nursed a severe ankle sprain that limited him to seven appearances. With few opportunities to establish himself, he caught six passes for 74 yards and a touchdown, with 46 of those yards coming in the Lions' first two games. 

That backslide crushed all of the positive momentum Fauria built throughout his rookie season, but it should be noted he has more working to his advantage than just some plus athleticism. According to Pro Football Focus, Fauria recorded a run-blocking grade of plus-4.0 during the 2013 season—good for 14th among 64 eligible tight ends. 

There isn't much reason to believe the 25-year-old will emerge as a reliable starting option (he's started just twice in 23 appearances), but he could develop into a red-zone specialist who thrives without eating up a heavy number of targets.