Vicious blocking TE Tip Reiman's plan to attack each Cardinals pratice
When an Arizona Cardinals’ draft pick instantaneously gets an official seal of approval from Ron Wolfley, the team’s legendary former tough-as-nails fullback and punishing special teams wedge-buster extraordinaire, you listen.
Since Wolfey retired in 1995 following a 10-year career and four Pro Bowl selections, the Cardinals have only acquired a handful of “unmitigated savages” who “tap into the rage tree” in the “blood sport,” as Wolfley affectionately refers to his favorites, their passion, and the game of football.
One of the latest is rugged tight end Tip Reiman, whom the team claimed two weeks ago in the third round out of Illinois. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 273 pounds, Reiman is a lot bigger than the 6-foot, 225-pound Wolfley back in the day. But he seems every bit as wild and wooly.
“Yes! He thinks like I do, and he uses some of the same terminology,” said Wolfley, the Cardinals’ radio color analyst and co-host of the “Wolf & Luke Show” weekday afternoons on the team’s flagship station, Arizona Sports, 98.7-FM.
Primarily known as a vicious blocking tight end with a hellbent desire to literally conquer a defender lined against him, Reiman has this to say the night he got drafted when asked what he loves about his job.
“Mauling somebody,” he said. “I like putting my hands on somebody, doing what I want and moving them exactly where I want them against their will. It’s fun. It’s the gift the Lord gave me and I’m honoring him by doing that.”
It’s so Wolfley.
“First of all, we share a faith — Jesus is Lord,” Wolfley said. “That is the first and foremost important thing in my life and with Tip Reiman as well. Number two, once we step in between those white lines, I’m going to try to bury you. That’s what I love about Tip Reiman.”
It’s when the savage side becomes unleashed, Wolfley said, when you’re “trying to drive somebody into the ground and tap into the primal side which God made in us all.”
“We all have a primal side in the fact I can tap into it and do it legally in between the white lines and it was OK, it was encouraged, and that’s what you’re supposed to do. And then you step outside those white lines, and you love people, you respect people better than yourself. It doesn’t get any better.”
A former walk-on at Illinois, Reiman was never really used as a pass catcher. The offense in college was built around physicality and a power running game. That doesn’t mean the Cardinals won’t integrate him into the passing game, however. Reiman’s athleticism jumps off the charts. His Relative Athletic Score at the scouting combine was 9.92 out of a possible 10.00, which ranked 10th out of 1,199 tight ends from 1987 through 2024.
Dave Sears, the Cardinals’ assistant general manager, said the team knew exactly what it was getting in Reiman besides the player’s blocking ability, aggressiveness, and surprising speed for his size. The real eye opener was Reiman’s work during the East West Shrine Bowl.
“We got to see him run more routes and catch more balls,” Sears said. “I like the guy’s upside and his fit for this offense. We run a lot of multiple tight end personnel. We’ve got a really good tight end room, so we felt like this guy was a good addition to that.”
Pairing Reiman opposite Trey McBride, who ranked sixth among all tight ends last season in receptions (81) and seventh in receiving yards (825) will add another dimension to the Cardinals’ offensive attack. Expect to see more 12 Personnel formations utilizing two wide receivers, two tight ends and one running back in the backfield with quarterback Kyler Murray.
“They’ll be able to attack the line of scrimmage, run the ball and still be dangerous throwing the ball,” Wolfley said.
The process begins Friday for Reiman when he and the team’s other collection of draft picks and first-year players participate in a three-day rookie minicamp at the Cardinals’ Tempe training facility. His goal is to simply attack the day — every day — and earn his opportunities.
“I’m just going to put my head down and work, just lay down a full brick every day, no half efforts, no cutting corners,” Reiman said Thursday. “I’m just going to try and gain the trust of the team, the organization and prove them right for having drafted me.”
Although he’s a mauler between the lines, Reiman says he’s also blessed with gentleness, kindness, and patience off the field. And when his mind isn’t on football or his wife, he spends his free time creating pottery and is at his utmost calm when spinning his pottery wheel.
Reiman said he’s always “kind of been an artsy guy,” but notes there’s always time for “violence and dominance,” too.
If he’s looking for any friendly advice on how to make an impact right away as a rookie, Reiman probably shouldn’t go to Wolfley for suggestions. Wolfley said the best advice he got as a rookie came from his older brother, Craig, who was an offensive lineman for the Steelers.
“He told me, ‘Shut your mouth, respect everyone, and pick a fight with the toughest guy on the team,’ ” Ron Wolfley said, quickly adding, “I would never tell Tip to do that because he would be kicked out of practice. But. But. If Tip wants to, just respect everybody, shut your mouth, and pick a fight with the toughest guy on the team.
“But I would never tell him that. … He’s going to do it.”
Cardinals sign four rookies
The team announced it has signed the following four rookie draft picks: Linebacker Xavier Thomas (fifth round), offensive tackle Christian Jones (fifth round), wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer (sixth round) and cornerback Jaden Davis (seventh round).
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch on Fox Sports 910-AM.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals drafted a Ron Wolfley-approved 'savage' in TE Tip Reiman
