Ben Patrick

The Cards seem to think pretty highly of Patrick, giving him a second-round tender to keep him in Arizona as a restricted free agent during the offseason. As a seventh-round selection out of Delaware in 2007, Patrick had some sleeper potential in the right system. With Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin on the field, the Cards really haven't involved their tight ends much over the last three seasons. Perhaps a philosophical shift is in order, but Steve Breaston and Early Doucet could prove capable of handling the workload opposite Fitzgerald, leaving Patrick to block for Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower in the running game.

Patrick will enter training camp as Arizona’s third-string tight end behind Stephen Spach and Leonard Pope. The battle should be tight, however, the Cardinals primarily use their tight ends as blockers and Pope has the most upside as a receiver. Patrick has only 18 receptions in two NFL seasons and it’s hard to see him making much of a fantasy impact this season.

There is talk that Patrick could overtake Leonard Pope as Arizona's starting tight end with a good summer. However, Pope has a lot more upside, especially because of his size in the red zone. The Cardinals don't throw to their tight ends very much, so touchdowns are the best bet for value out of the group.

Patrick may have been a steal in the seventh round, because some observers pegged him as a second-round pick. However, his impact isn't likely to be immediate. He missed all of the Cardinals' spring minicamps with hamstring woes and opens training camp as the Cardinals' third tight end. The team doesn't use its tight ends much in the receiving game, which further hurts Patrick's chances to make an immediate impact.