Formerly a pro basketball player abroad, Fells went the route of older brother Daniel, signing his first NFL deal with the Seahawks in March of 2013. Since landing on the Cardinals' practice squad in October of that year, he's slowly but surely worked his way first onto the 53-man roster and then to the top of the depth chart. Finishing last season as Arizona's top tight end in terms of catches (21), yards (311), and touchdowns (three), he culminated the campaign with a 21-yard touchdown grab in the NFC championship game beatdown at the hands of the Panthers. He enters 2016 as one of the Cardinals' starting tight ends.

John Carlson's sudden retirement in May removed a veteran presence from the tight-end ranks in Arizona, and general manager Steve Keim compensated with the late-July signing of Jermaine Gresham. While the former Bengal is the likely candidate to vacuum up Carlson's 55 targets from a year ago, Fells and 2014 second-round pick Troy Niklas are the primary holdovers to consider for reps in the Cardinals' offense. When Niklas' rookie season ended after Week 11 last fall, Fells took full advantage of the opportunity, receiving 56.9 percent of the TE snaps as opposed to 35.2 percent for Carlson and 30.2 percent for Rob Housler. During that six-game stretch, Fells hauled in six catches (on 11 targets) for 72 yards and one touchdown. The presence of Gresham hinders Fells' potential, though, due to the former's previous relationship with quarterback Carson Palmer during his rookie campaign in 2010.

Acting as tight end depth, but a Week 1 roster spot appears to be far-fetched.