Jermaine Gresham Re-Signs with Cardinals: Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Jermaine Gresham wasn't a featured member of the Arizona Cardinals' high-octane offense last season, but the reigning NFC West champions evidently saw enough to bring the tight end back for a second stint with the team. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Gresham's decision to stay with Arizona, noting that he took less money in doing so. Rand Getlin of NFL Network confirmed the move and added that the New York Jets and Chicago Bears both offered Gresham "strong" four-year deals.

On Monday, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reported it's a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

Gresham appeared in 15 games and logged 12 starts last season, but he was limited to a career-low 18 catches for 223 yards and a single touchdown after undergoing offseason back surgery. 

Season	Targets	Receptions	Rec. Yds	TD
2010	83	52	471	4
2011	92	56	596	6
2012	94	64	737	5
2013	68	46	458	4
2014	79	62	460	5
2015	32	18	223	1

However, Pro Football Focus' Thomas Maney noted a downtick in production didn't prevent Gresham from contributing in a positive fashion as a blocker: 

"

Last season he caught just 18 passes, down from an average of 58 over his first five years. Even with that production, Gresham still finished with a below average receiving grade in five of six seasons, although he consistently ranked among the most elusive tight ends with 56 broken tackles in his career. He graded much better as a blocker over that span, and maintained that consistency in 2015 with solid grades in screen and run blocking. 

"

Now that he's a year removed from the back surgery, Gresham is a solid bounce-back candidate.

While he may never see a particularly high volume of targets with Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown, J.J. Nelson and Darren Fells all in the mix, Gresham has the tools at 6'5" and 260 pounds to burn defenses up the seam. 

"He’s a mismatch against linebackers," quarterback Carson Palmer said when the Cardinals signed Gresham last year, per ArizonaSports.com's Adam Green. "He can be a mismatch depending on the safety. He’s really, really good in the run game and can pass-block against defensive ends, which is rare for tight ends. He’s just such a big, physical presence on the field.”

There's a cap on Gresham's ceiling when he's surrounded by so many high-caliber weapons, but his ability to hunker down and make key blocks in the running game while serving as a big, reliable target in the red zone shouldn't be overlooked.