When's the last time we had a franchise Tight End?

[egomaniac247]

Disclaimer: I became a Cardinals fan around the early 2000's. I fully admit I am doing this "fan stuff" completely backwards because I USED to be a Patriots fan prior to the early 2000's and adopted the Cardinals after the Pats won the 2004 Superbowl.


So anyways I caught the tail end of Plummer, but Josh McCown was the first Arizona QB I came to really appreciate. I was around for the Josh vs Navarre debates, then along came Warner, we tried the Leinart thing, went back to Warner, had the whole absolute few-year train wreck with Kolb/Anderson/Hall/Lindley/Bartel/Hoyer......sigh....then onto Carson and so forth.



So I'm asking this question: Why in the heck have we not been able to find a stud TE, much less even just a TE that consistently contributed?


Off the top of my head I remember Pope, Seals-Jones, Freddie Jones, Bergen, King, Fells, Housler, Dray, Heap, Patrick, blah blah blah. Gresham hasn't done anything and Niklas was a dud.

I mean, I guess if we go back in time far enough we had Novacek but he really made his name in Dallas I would think.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jay Novacek?

 

[Shane]

Jay Novacek?

nahhhh he didn’t become that tilll he was in Dallas.

 

[Jetstream Green]

nahhhh he didn’t become that tilll he was in Dallas.

Him and Rob Awalt where actually franchise aquality TEs but old man Bidwill did not want to spend the money on both and in typical Cardinals fashion Awalt turned out to then have the injury bug... Novacek was good before Dallas

 

[cwamjn]

Novacek

 

[Mainstreet]

Him and Rob Awalt where actually franchise aquality TEs but old man Bidwill did not want to spend the money on both and in typical Cardinals fashion Awalt turned out to then have the injury bug... Novacek was good before Dallas

Cardinals should have kept Novacek.

It's a curse I tell you!

 

[jefftheshark]

I’ll take “Never” for $400, Alex

JTS

 

[Hoodhero]

Does Gersham getting paid like a franchise TE count?

 

[Dan H]

Jackie Smith.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Freddie Jones was a alright TE

 

[Solar7]

We've had a ton of franchise tight ends, the problem is, they've all been cheerleaders.

 

[Shane]

Him and Rob Awalt where actually franchise aquality TEs but old man Bidwill did not want to spend the money on both and in typical Cardinals fashion Awalt turned out to then have the injury bug... Novacek was good before Dallas

He was OK. Nothing special. In 5 years was little used and didn’t explode as a franchise TE until he became a Cowboy.

 

[Jetstream Green]

We've had a ton of franchise tight ends, the problem is, they've all been cheerleaders.

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[bojack]

I assume you mean a joker, aka F (flex), aka U tight end instead of a traditional Y (mostly blocking) TE?

Gresham was OK (not great, but had some production ) in that role in Cinci. Once we got him we didn't use him as much and when we did it seemed like he would make drops at key times.

Cards are allergic to hybrid TEs on both sides of the ball. Dynamic offenses often make use of joker TEs.

 

[LarryStalling]

Jackie Smith, JV Cain, and Doug Marsh are about the only ones I can recall.

 

[gbrim21]

Rob Housler.

Next question

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[cardpa]

Troy Nikglass baby!

 

[PACardsFan]

Jackie Smith.

Exactly!!!!

 

[BigRedRage]

Being that our last two head coaches dont use tight ends really, it is irrelevant. if we had one, they would be wasting space anyway.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Can you believe we had Jay Novacek on the team? 85 - 89?

 

[ARZCardinals]

I remember the Cards trying once in the late 90's when they got a TE from San Diego who was supposed to be 'the guy' ...just another dud

oooo there was also Todd Heap....who ended up being a heap of .......

Yea TE is a position we can never get right on offense and they can never cover on defense

If there's a position the Cardinals care less about it's TE

 

[Bkbobo]

Who was that real tall TE from Georgia we drafted? I was hoping his size would translate to the NFL, but nope he was a flop. I really wish we would utilize a TE with this offense.

 

[Shaggy]

Who was that real tall TE from Georgia we drafted? I was hoping his size would translate to the NFL, but nope he was a flop. I really wish we would utilize a TE with this offense.

Daren Fells?

 

[BigRedRage]

Who was that real tall TE from Georgia we drafted? I was hoping his size would translate to the NFL, but nope he was a flop. I really wish we would utilize a TE with this offense.

He is scoring touchdowns for someone else now.

 

[Bkbobo]

Daren Fells?

It was Leonard Pope. He name was slipping my mind. I had high hopes