Brate Getting Props
October 18th, 2017
National love.
Last year Joe thought it was unconscionable how Bucs tight end Cam Brate was snubbed for Pro Bowl honors.
All the dude did last year was lead the NFL in touchdown catches for tight ends, and he only played in 15 games.
Part of the reason, Joe believes, is that Brate is best known for going to Harvard.
Well, that is beginning to change. After Brate caught a touchdown pass in Arizona Sunday, he popped up on the radar of BSPN’s Field Yates.
@FieldYates: Bucs TE Cameron Brate has a TD in 4 straight games. No TE did that at any point during the 2016 season.
The way Joe sees it, Brate may be the most reliable receiver the Bucs have. So far the Bucs haven’t really figured out how to use DeSean Jackson. Opponents are doing their best to shut down Mike Evans. As Joe wrote so often since the Bucs signed Jackson, defenses can’t cover everyone.
Making America Brate again.
October 18th, 2017 at 5:45 am
Somebody mentioned on here. The snowflake carriers. I thought that was a perfect way to sum up our football team.
October 18th, 2017 at 6:01 am
These guys are here for a paycheck. It’s the mindset they could give a rats ace about what we think about them. You can’t tell me by that pathetic effort they gave Sunday the game was over before halftime. Please don’t even bring Fitzpatrick up. I can’t get over the fact how I still keep givving a shut about how they’re gonna do this Sunday
October 18th, 2017 at 6:37 am
Do not lump Brate into “these guys”. I was at many practices where he was the very last player on the field practicing snaps while other players were already signing autographs. That dude puts in the work.
October 18th, 2017 at 6:41 am
Jameis has such great chemistry with Brate, Evans, And Humphries.
But we are trying to force throws to Jackson- instead of building the same Chemistry.
Again, If Jackson wanted to develop timing with his new QB – he would have been here for voluntary OTAs, and the organized practices Jameis put together.
October 18th, 2017 at 6:45 am
Brate is a Fantastic TE.
Glad hes a Buc
October 18th, 2017 at 6:51 am
“Cameron the Brate”
October 18th, 2017 at 7:09 am
Brate is the sunshine of our franchise – even in this dark days.
October 18th, 2017 at 7:17 am
Good thing they used that 1st round pick on a blocking TE.
October 18th, 2017 at 7:38 am
Currently, he is leading all NFL tight ends, in TD Catches !
We are lucky to have him in Tampa.
October 18th, 2017 at 7:50 am
This is all well and good, BUT our front office needs to work on how we’re going to KEEP Cam HERE, I don’t wanna hear any comparisons w/He & OJ, it should be a set pair for years. No reason we can’t keep Brate & Howard together, so we don’t have to worry about the position
October 18th, 2017 at 7:54 am
Brate is a pleasant surprise…………mucho props to our GM for finding this diamond in the rough
That’s why Jason Licht is a good GM
October 18th, 2017 at 7:55 am
Loved Brate since first touchdown. Like the underdogs I figure. With all the other weapons we have, shouldn’t we be putting some points up????
October 18th, 2017 at 7:55 am
I wish he didn’t drop that TD against NE
October 18th, 2017 at 8:00 am
No news media outlet in d Jack’s entire career has ever written the words that a national football team has not figured out how to use him yet. That’s the most damning statement I’ve ever heard about a play caller. How pathetic is it to have a Lamborghini sitting in your driveway for all to see but never drive it
October 18th, 2017 at 8:13 am
brate is great on the seam route and can catch in traffic but…
he is limited on other routes and cant create separation and run after catch
OJ Stocker can run slants and crossing patterns and Rac ala travis kelce
but the sheep keeps on believing the regurgitating
October 18th, 2017 at 8:16 am
brate is great on the seam route and can catch in traffic but…
he is limited on other routes and cant create separation and run after catch
OJ Stocker can run slants and crossing patterns and Rac ala travis kelce
but the sheep keeps on believing the regurgitating fanboy sites and uneducated of the new nfl normal
Using OJ Stocker is the key to our offensive problems…which is the short passing gamr
“No problem mundo”
Grudog
October 18th, 2017 at 9:21 am
Get djx away from jw immediately
Start making brate hump Godwin and add oj in mix we don’t need him. It’s proven he is not a fit
October 18th, 2017 at 10:27 am
Brate has had a good year but man, he did drop a couple of catches that could have made all of us fans forget about those missed Folk FGs as the Bucs could have won if Brate brought his A game that Thursday and made a couple of more catches, especially the on Miguel mentioned above. Of course the same could be said about the above mentioned Folk, Winston, the DL and just about everyone else who did not have a stellar night in that 19-14 loss. Brate seems to be the most consistent component in an offense that is not hitting on all cylinders, particularly in the first half…. This O has far too many weapons to be struggling so badly. What is the culprit? Some say DJax, some can blame the putrid D for putting the O behind and out of its gameplan, the fact that Irma disrupted the team for a couple of weeks and took away a lot of valuable preparation time, other would even say its the curse of Hard knocks or perhaps its the poor play calling from the head stickcarrier. Whatever it is I think Ira and the Joes hit the nail on the head when they said that the locker room is not right, the team has not been ready to play in all 3 of its losses and did not put together complete performances in its 2 wins either. Definitely frustrating to us Buc fans who were expecting something better than what we have seen so far. Right now the Bucs are 2-3 and that could spiral to 2-6 (at Bills, Panthers, at Saints) if Smith does not fix the D, Koetter does not quit making idiotic calls and the O continues to flatline an average of 3 out of 4 quarters a game…… The Bucs will be drafting in the top 5 to 10 if improvement is not seen soon.
October 18th, 2017 at 11:30 am
^^with a new head coach and GM^^
October 18th, 2017 at 11:58 am
I never did get the logic of drafting O.J Howard in the 1st round, when you already have a 25 year old rising TE. Especially when you have a million more needs.
October 18th, 2017 at 12:07 pm
You already have a 23 year All-Pro WR. You have a 25 year old TE, who led the league in TDs among TEs. Then you go out and sign a big name WR in Free Agency. Then you draft a TE in the 1st round, then a WR in the 3rd round. Ok, that makes as much sense as adding peanut butter to a Hamburger.
October 18th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
“Brate may be the most reliable receiver the Bucs have”
Which is a big reason why we are sitting at 2-3 instead of a winning record.
There’s no way not to be impressed with the NFL receiver Brate has developed into – especially considering that he was a UDFA and is still young.
But damn Cam – I’ve seen more drops from you in 5 games this year than the previous 2 years combined. Nice TD catch vs the Pats – but the well thrown game winner you dropped was the biggest reason we lost that game.
Cmon bro – squeeze those catchable balls. Its what sets you apart from any opponent on the field trying to beat you or any future teammate trying to take your job. Making those catches whenever they hit your mitts.
Our 2 TEs will become a legendary duo if we can get this thing clicking and keep Winston, OJ and Cam Brate together for a # of years.
October 18th, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Brate’s the man, and it’s why he’s going to start every game on my fantasy team.
But there is absolutely no reason this guy should be catching balls with a LB and Safety, under double coverage. I give Koetter an ‘F’ up to this point in terms of doing what you mentioned, Joe: learning how to use Evans and Jackson… and let’s add OJ, Godwin.
This team is so far being let down by their coaches.
October 18th, 2017 at 1:48 pm
LakeLand Says:
October 18th, 2017 at 11:58 am
I never did get the logic of drafting O.J Howard in the 1st round, when you already have a 25 year old rising TE.
———————————————–
That’s because you and so many others who bitch and moan about our “unaddressed needs” when things aren’t going swimmingly – and blame the GM for not doing a good job because we happen to have lost a couple games badly to start the year – fail to understand a basic principle.
Bad teams and bad GMs draft for need regularly. Good teams and good GMs draft for talent and value whenever and wherever they can find it.
Dom almost always drafted for “need”. (probably because he sucked at talent evaluation and with the Glazers’ wallets slammed shut the 1st 3 years – he perpetually had so many needs to fill…)
Licht has largely drafted for talent over need. We NEEDED a DE in the 1st round this year. But instead of Taco Charlton who MIGHT have a fair to midlin NFL career – we got the best TE prospect to come out of college in at least a decade.
OJ has the skillset from the getgo to become a perennial All Pro in short order. Taco is more likely than not to have an Adrian Clayborne type career.
There are no guarantees obviously – but OJ was rated a top 10 talent on damn near every analyst and teams big board and we drafted him at #19. Lucky? Yes – but also smart and pretty obviously the right move.
Jon Robinson MAY have gotten himself a talented CB at #18 – but my bet is that 5 years down the road he will be kicking himself for not having drafted OJ Howard at #18 – as will the Panthers for having taken a 3rd down RB at #8 instead of an amazing talent like OJ who can transition into a great starting TE in short order as Olson’s shelf life quickly reaches its expiration date.
WE NEEDED a good CB in the 2016 draft. Talented enough to start in year one. And look what that got us. A talented yet struggling VH3 who is not currently playing anywhere near like what you would expect from the #11 overall pick in the 1st round. (Eli Apple is not really doing much better btw).
We NEEDED to solve our long standing kicking problem. And look what that reach got us.
No GM is perfect. Lichts successes on draft day have far exceeded his failures. Anyone who can’t see that doesn’t know what they are looking at.
Jason Licht stepped into a hell of a mess left by Dom when he walked in the door at OBP for the 1st time just 3 years and 10 months ago. And in that relatively short time – he has added a TON of young talent to this team. And he’s done it largely via good talent evaluation and drafting for value and talent over need when that choice arises in the moment.
Yes we NEEDED a talented RB, DE and CB in this draft – but the draft didn’t fall that way. Jason stuck to his board and drafted the higher end talent he was gifted in taking OJ over Cook in rd 1 and Godwin over Hunt in Rd 3. Trust me – the Bucs liked both Cook and Hunt and would have selected either if things had fallen differently. Licht tried to trade up for Cook in the 2nd rd but was unsuccessful and the Vikings beat him to it. chit happens.
In 3-4 years time when draftees can properly be evaluated – we will all likely be very happy with the collective on-field performance of OJ Howard, Justin Evans, Chris Godwin and Kendall Beckwith. At least 3 of those 4 and perhaps all 4 will play big roles in this team’s future successes.
Bottom line – people need to stop whining because their GM is drafting talent over need. Its the right way to run a franchise and will pay big dividends in the long run. Soon we will be getting decent compensatory picks every year to play with as well – just like a few other good teams have been doing for years to help maintain their sustained success.
October 18th, 2017 at 6:41 pm
What talent has Jason Licht drafted? I’m for one don’t see it.
October 19th, 2017 at 1:45 pm
^^^ Really Lakeland? ME has no talent? Jameis? Kwon? OJ? Beckwith? Ali? Now I’m just wasting my time.