Arizona Cardinals agree to extension with Jermaine Gresham

The Arizona Cardinals have made reportedly made their first key signing of the 2017 Free Agent period. Jermaine Gresham will return to the Arizona Cardinals, reportedly agreeing to a four-year deal, keeping him in Arizona through 2021.

Gresham was one of the teams main priorities to re-sign. He joined the team in 2015 on a one year deal, after spending his first five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He recorded 18 catches, 223 yards and one touchdown.

Despite the low receiving totals, the team expressed interest in his return for 2016, and he would wind up signing a second one year deal. His numbers went up in year two, catching 37 passes, 391 yards, and two scores.

Cardinal fans know that the tight end will never be a prominent receiver in Bruce Arians schemes. Arians likes his guys to block first, catch second. And that is exactly what many have complimented Gresham on doing.

Gresham adds leadership to the locker-room, and is one of the “emotional sparks” for the team.

Gresham fills a need that the Cardinals were going to face on March 9th, had he not re-signed.

Teammate Darren Fells seems unlikely to return, considering he was in fact cheaper than Gresham, and has yet to be given a tender.

The exact monetary value is yet to be released, but because Gresham re-signed with his 2016 team, those numbers should come out within the coming hours.

UPDATE:

$7 million a year for a tight end is an interesting usage of resources (Seth).

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