Arizona taught Darren Fells how to play tight end and at 30 he’s finally ready to shine

Cardinals tight end Darren Fells, like many of the other breakout players I’ve chosen, is going into his third season in the league this year. Unlike most of those other guys, Fells is a comparative senior citizen at 30 years old. Basketball was Fells’ first love.

He played for UC Irvine and went on to play overseas for about four years professionally. At some point, he decided to follow his older brother Daniel’s footsteps onto the gridiron. In the spring of 2013 he was signed by the Seahawks to begin his journey as an NFL player. After subsequently being cut after camp that year by Seattle, he found a home in Arizona after signing to their practice squad in the middle of that season.

Fast forward to 2015. In 14 games and 12 starts, Fells’ numbers weren’t exactly eye-popping. But at the same time, considering his background, 21 receptions and three touchdowns wasn’t exactly disappointing in any way, shape or form either. Watching him play I could see tons of potential just jumping off the screen. He also seemed to get better as the season went on, which is something you would expect for a guy who is still learning the job.

I was particularly surprised that Fells was a pretty good blocker last season, too. Maybe he wasn’t the second coming of Mark Bruener, but for the most part he got the job done. “Basketball guys” just usually aren’t that physical, let’s be honest. At the same time Fells is a big boy at 6’7 and 281 pounds, and his blocking ability, while still a work in progress, gives him the opportunity to be involved in every facet of the game.

Now that’s great and all, but where I think he has a chance to make huge strides this season is as a pass catcher.

Fells doesn’t have blazing speed, but he’s plenty fast enough to get open. Where he really separates himself is that he catches the football so naturally. You watch him run routes, and it’s like he never breaks stride when the ball is on its way. He doesn’t tense up, he doesn’t panic. He just catches the ball smoothly like he has been doing it all his life. That allows Fells to transition to a runner quickly, and because he’s so athletic, it helps him to maximize his production every time he catches the ball.

There ain’t too many defensive backs who are going to look forward to trying to tackle a 280-pound man coming full speed down the field. The words “Mack Truck” come to mind. The only question in my mind is how much more the Cardinals will look to him in the passing game this year when they have so much talent at the wide receiver position. They already line Fells up all over the field from fullback to flexed out wide, so they know he can excel in a variety of roles. Sometimes who gets thrown the football is about more than just who happens to be open on any given play.

Make no mistake: If Palmer targets Fells more this year, and I think he will, Darren Fells could easily end up with Pro Bowl-type numbers. With his combination of size, athleticism, and soft hands, I expect him to give defenses hell trying to defend him this season. I am especially excited to see the Cardinals get him more involved in the red zone.

After two years of getting acclimated to the game, I expect Fells to really blossom this season.