NFL Free Agency: Is Coby Fleener an Option for the Arizona Cardinals?

The Arizona Cardinals have made a bevy of moves this offseason to help improve their offense. They have upgraded the offensive line both through free agency and the draft, the wide receiver group has been bolstered and there is now some depth behind running back David Johnson.

The one position the team hasn’t added much at is tight end. Yes, the Cardinals did sign Beau Sandland a few weeks ago as a pass-catching tight end, but they could still stand to add some more bodies at the position.

Enter Coby Fleener.

Fleener, the former Indianapolis Colt and New Orleans Saint, now finds himself as a free agent after the Saints decided to cut ties with him. From the very beginning, the five-year, $36 million deal from New Orleans seemed a bit rich for a guy that was always very dependent on Andrew Luck. Because of that, two years into his five year contract, Fleener is looking for a new home.

Currently, the Cardinals have Sandland, Ricky Seals-Jones, Jermaine Gresham (working on coming back from an Achilles injury) and some other lesser known names on their 90-man roster at tight end.

Fleener has never been a guy known for getting dirty in the trenches with his blocking skills, so I am not sure paying him a decent amount of money to come to the desert makes a ton of sense. Steve Keim and Steve Wilks have put an obvious emphasis on improving their offense to run the ball with the additions of Justin Pugh and Andre Smith, so adding a pass-catching tight end that isn’t the best blocker in the world wouldn’t seem to follow that logic.

Add in the fact that Fleener is reportedly still recovering from a concussion he suffered last season and the pairing of him with the Cardinals just doesn’t make too much sense. There are already enough players on the offense that have durability issues.

What do you think? Should the Cardinals take a chance on a potentially dynamic option in the passing game, or should they look for someone that fits the overall plan more?