NFL Free Agency 2020: 5 Best landing spots for Hunter Henry
By Samuel Teets
4. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals invested the top pick in last year’s draft on Kyler Murray. The athletic, dual-threat quarterback turned in a mediocre rookie season, and the Cardinals finished 5-10-1. Murray’s late-season struggles originated from poor offensive line play and a lack of reliable weapons.
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Last season, Larry Fitzgerald led the Cardinals with 75 receptions, 804 yards and four touchdowns. However, the future Hall of Famer is entering his age-37 season. At most, he’ll play another two years. Christian Kirk flashed potential at times, but otherwise, Arizona’s receiving options seemed nonexistent.
Charles Clay led all of Arizona’s tight ends with 18 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown. Clay will enter free agency this spring, and the Cardinals won’t re-sign the 31-year-old. Instead, the team should target Henry. The Chargers’ tight end would immediately give Murray a borderline Pro Bowl receiving threat.
Around the middle of the decade, Arizona experimented with Jermaine Gresham. The two-time Pro Bowler experienced success with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he fell flat in the desert. Gresham accumulated 1,030 receiving yards in four seasons with the Cardinals.
Gresham stands out as part of a larger trend in Cardinals’ history. The team cannot find tight ends. The last relevant tight end who succeeded in Arizona was Jackie Smith, and he left the then St. Louis Cardinals following the 1977 season. Henry offers Arizona a chance to finally put an exceptionally tight end on the field.