Final Bucs Game Upcoming For Cameron Brate?
December 24th, 2018
Cameron Brate hasn’t had one game this season with more than 36 yards receiving.
That’s not why Team Glazer and Jason Licht opened the vault to pay him back in March.
After tight end O.J. Howard was injured and lost for the season against the Giants, Brate reclaimed the feature role at the position. In the five games since, Brate has a combined 11 catches for 91 yards and three touchdowns.
And that’s all with Jameis Winston starting at quarterback. They’re supposed to have great chemistry together, but that’s quickly become an urban legend.
There is an out in Brate’s contract. He is due $7 million next season but only if he’s on the roster on Day 5 of the “league year,” which is in mid-March.
So let’s perform some NFL valuation: Is a one-dimension, No. 2 tight end coming off a rough season worth $7 million a year? No.
Joe’s not ripping 27-year-old Brate here, but reality has to win out.
When the Bucs gave Brate a contract extension, he was a wonderful luxury. Now he feels like a waste on a roster with a load of holes and question marks on defense, and with a shaky offensive line and a poor rushing attack.
No matter who is running the Bucs next year, Joe would love to see the trade market for Brate explored.
December 24th, 2018 at 11:34 am
They will give Hump his money
December 24th, 2018 at 11:38 am
a mediocre player with a low ceiling but bucfan loves them some feel-good stories so let’s hear how this team can never move forward without an average to below average one dimensional tight end… bucfan is like that dude that falls in love with every girl they kiss… if a buc player makes one good play per decade they deserve a lifetime contract in buvcfan eyes.
outside of winston and evans scrap the entire damn roster or at least let those two fine young men escape the black hole that is tampa bay buccaneer football… bucfan just wants an 0-16 team led by a dungy nuthugger who goes to their church.
December 24th, 2018 at 11:39 am
Yeah what Lakeland says. Hump has earned it and is versatile. Brate is nothing more than a good backup at this point. OJ is a stud but his injuries concern me. Nevertheless, you have to trust Auclair as a backup. It’s not wise to pay a backup 7 mill.
December 24th, 2018 at 11:44 am
Brate is a favorite of mine. Shame this coaching staff could NOT make him co-exist with OJ. But he has had a case of the dropsies lately. #MABA Still!!
December 24th, 2018 at 11:45 am
And yes Hump should be paid BIG TIME!
December 24th, 2018 at 11:48 am
Is at one tackle DT worth 13 million????
No
December 24th, 2018 at 11:52 am
Keep Hump and Brate. Bye to D.Smith and Kwon.
December 24th, 2018 at 12:04 pm
he leads the team in touchdowns. no one in their right mind gets rid of this guy. Or Adam Humphries for that matter.
December 24th, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Warren I’d say we hang on to Kwon But I’m not paying Smith a dime over what he’s worth. Especially if he’s having one of his worst years yet in a contract year.
December 24th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
What Lakeland said. Brate seems like a great guy, but all of his drops are making me bleed out of my ears from a brain aneurysm. No game over 36 yards receiving, not much of a blocker either. OJ Howard is twice the player he is at this point – reallocte the money to Hum (if Hump even wants to stay.) Bucs have other needs. Auclair will be just fine as a number 2 TE
December 24th, 2018 at 12:15 pm
Send him to the Sharks!
December 24th, 2018 at 12:17 pm
Seems more likely brate, kwon, d smith and most of the talent on this team are borderline backups that licht tells everyone how great they should be because they are his dudes. Lichts a horrible gm and ruined this team w his crappy personnel moves
December 24th, 2018 at 12:17 pm
Ditto on Humphries. He’s Mr. Reliable, particularly on 3rd downs. Give him his due!
December 24th, 2018 at 12:23 pm
This would be a mistake. With OJ yet to play a complete season, having Brate take over as the #1 TE is a gift. How many starting TEs in the league are complete TEs? Why wasn’t anyone objecting to his payday when he got it? There are enough players who will be let go to create a vast amount of salary cap space this off-season. This guy is a true redzone threat. I have not seen OJ work a short field in the redzone till date, that I can remember. OJ is great in the open.
Auclair and Cross cannot be the fill in for OJ if the Juice gets hurt.
December 24th, 2018 at 12:31 pm
Just use the money we paid Grimes this year. OJ has a tendency to get nicked up, keep Brate 1 more year under the new regime.
December 24th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
Quick question Joe. Oj cant stay healthy. Why do u want to get rid of brate? Dude is a lock to get double teamed in the redzone which opens up looks for other players like humphries. The $7 million is chump change. U trade him and OJ gets hurt AGAIN, then who are we gonna have out there?
December 24th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
You dont get rid of good football players because u may think they are “overpaid”. Its not coming out of our pockets and it doesnt prevent us from signing who we want. Let him stay
December 24th, 2018 at 12:40 pm
What has Cam Brate done since O.J been out?
December 24th, 2018 at 12:43 pm
And how many holes the Bucs has to fill?
Who will be their LT, RT, OG, MLB, OLB, 3 Tech, QB, CB, FS
I need some of you geniuses to answer this question
December 24th, 2018 at 12:48 pm
That’s what makes the Bucs the Bucs; pay a average TE elite money and you have swinging door at RG and old RT…
December 24th, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Respect the plays he’s made for us since we brought him back, and he certainly earned a contract extension…just not how much we paid him. Much as I like the dude he has to be on the chopping block, he’s expensive and not producing. Plus the money he’s currently being paid could be used more efficiently elsewhere; all due respect to him but he either needs to take a cut or be cut/traded.
December 24th, 2018 at 1:00 pm
I’m sure it’s Jameis’s fault
December 24th, 2018 at 1:04 pm
This team will be awful again next year turning over 50% of it’s roster but somehow we believe we will be better with a first time head coach. We are an NFL farm team that turns out players to move on have better careers somewhere else. This team lacks a heartbeat and it’s not always the head coach. How many now in 12 seasons?
December 24th, 2018 at 1:07 pm
Cut him and don’t look back. Let Hump walk as well
December 24th, 2018 at 1:07 pm
ndog
You are possessed with Jameis. Please remove your hand from his nut sack.
December 24th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
I realized im talking to idiots. Cam is an elite redzone target. Yall are just looking at the $7 mil price tag. Just because you can “save 7 million” on brate does not mean you will use that $7 milluon and spend it wisely on a better player at another position. Just look at beau allen and vinny curry.
December 24th, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Bucsfanman
please post a link to the last remaining journalist… I think you are more likely to find a unicorn banging tinker bell with the tooth fairy filming it than a credible journalist
December 24th, 2018 at 1:40 pm
I realized im talking to idiots <— yeah this is how you get heard, just insult others first
December 24th, 2018 at 1:42 pm
Jean Lafitte Says:
December 24th, 2018 at 1:07 pm
ndog
You are possessed with Jameis. Please remove your hand from his nut sack.
BucTown says:
That would still leave one hand and possibly other body parts there.
December 24th, 2018 at 1:45 pm
Joe,
I think this is a bad take. He was one of the best in the NFL recently and has earned his keep and his paycheck the right way. He shouldn’t be blamed for the dysfunctional side show this thing has devolved into. He’s worth holding onto to see if and how the smoke clears.
December 24th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
tmaxcon Says:
“I think you are more likely to find a unicorn banging tinker bell with the tooth fairy filming it than a credible journalist”
~~~~~~~~~~
Well….. you have to admit, tinker bell is pretty hot,, lol
December 24th, 2018 at 1:53 pm
Jean Lafitte Says:
“ndog – You are possessed with Jameis. Please remove your hand from his nut sack.”
33 minutes later
Jean Lafitte Says:
“yeah this is how you get heard, just insult others first”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you see any irony here?
December 24th, 2018 at 1:54 pm
nope
December 24th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
Lol, fair enough, Jean.
December 24th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
I brought this up the other day. Since the second half of the saints game Brate has fallen into a slump. Slumps happen no reason to cut him. Where’s the loyalty? Plus he’s Winston’s best target. You don’t cut that guy.
The real problem here is that we should have drafted Cook instead of Howard. Yea I said it!!!
December 24th, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Tmaxcon- I typically enjoy the accuracy of your doom and gloom assessments but you’re wrong on Brate. He’s a good player who’s earned his keep and his cash despite the side show surrounding him.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:11 pm
Read this and read Ira saying that Brate will be back……
We got confusion in JoeBucsFan.com land
December 24th, 2018 at 2:11 pm
Its not surprising why this is a losing franchise year after year.
So trade Brate but keep Winston and Donovan Smith? This place is so backwards.
Winston and Smith both need to be gone. I don’t want to hear the “well who else is out there” crap either. Doesn’t matter. Those two guys SUCK. Even if we replace them with unknowns, at least we won’t have to watch those two buffoons every week.
Keep Brate – Howard misses at least 3 games a year. Cut Jackson. Sign Hump. Cut Winston and Smith. In fact, go get 5 new offensive lineman. Marpet is a joke too.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:14 pm
But he’s a glue guy.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:15 pm
^^ Marpet’s head is just spinning from the Bucs changing his position every 5 minutes. He needs to go back to RG and be left there.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Total rebuild coming.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Brate is expendable, slow and waning.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:30 pm
^ Waning? He is 27 years old.
December 24th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
Another horrible contract by Jason
December 24th, 2018 at 3:00 pm
This organization is at a crossroads in more than a few ways.
But it’s all hyper-pole BS until the FO/HC situation is put to rest.
December 24th, 2018 at 4:01 pm
OJ is great but can’t stay healthy.
Brate is above average.
I mean really, would you rather have that Auclair guy out there or Brate the next time OJ goes down?
December 24th, 2018 at 4:14 pm
Everyone complaining about another losing season, but expecting a winning formula with a complete makeover. You folks need to continue with your Fantasy Football teams, because that’s the only place in the NFL where that happens.
December 24th, 2018 at 4:39 pm
Why hold onto a BACKUP on a 5 win team?????????
And pay him $7,000,000 a year
December 24th, 2018 at 7:15 pm
More than enough money to pay Brate & Hump once McCoy, Jackson, Gholston and Grimes and Conte are off the books.
Crazy how many dollars are wasted on players who make ZERO impact.
Getting rid of Brate should be the least of the concerns regarding salary cap.
December 24th, 2018 at 7:49 pm
Move Brate and Jackson and Grimes, and keep Humphries.
December 24th, 2018 at 7:53 pm
Brate has great hands and has always been clutch when needed, so have considered how many passes have been thrown Brate’s way before making it sound like it’s his fault? Here’s his catch/target & (percentage) YDS/TDs for the last 5 games you refer to in this article:
Brate:
SF 3/4 (75%) 28/1
Car 3/6 (50%) 36/0
NO 2/4 (50%) 12/2
Bal 1/2 (50%) 9/0
Dal 2/3 (67%) 8/0
5-game total: 11/19 (58%) 93/3
Same 5-game comparisons:
Evans: 24/39 (62%) 461/1
Humphries: 31/41 (76%) 259/2
Godwin: 13/29 (45%) 195/1
DJackson: 15/31 (48%) 180/0
Brate has had:
1) the least target opportunities (19), actually 10 less than the second least target Godwin,
2) has a 58% catch percentage, which is just a few notches below the Bucs’ BEST WR Evans (62%),
and leads ALL “receivers” with 3 TDs over those 5 games,
3) and, you are correct, that’s with Jamies at QB.
Most important to remember too is the fact that OJ has not proven he can finish a season healthy, and you want to kick Brate to the curb? No disrespect intended here, but it would be a very BAD MOVE to get rid of him.
Does the OL, RB and CB positions need improvement? Absolutely, and there are several candidates there to walk the plank, but without question, Brate and Humphries are both vital to the continued success of this team’s offense and Licht should make every effort to keep both of them on the roster.
Merry Christmas Joes, and to all my fellow JBF posters!
December 24th, 2018 at 8:22 pm
I may have missed talk about Godwin somewhere else. See his off game before Dallas and some staunch supporters turned on him. His impact is back and he is better than Brate.
December 24th, 2018 at 10:13 pm
Think about what you said Joe. If he isn’t worth the contract, then why the hell would a team not only pay the contract, but also pay the Bucs?
Keep him. If the problem was coaching and Dirk should be fired (And that’s one hell of an “If” right there) then you should keep a once extremely productive player who is still very young around for the next coach to try and utilize. Far more prudent given this team is nowhere near in a problematic cap situation.
December 24th, 2018 at 10:22 pm
While we’re at it, why don’t we get rid of Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Peyton Barber since they’ve all been struggling.
Oh but, Jameis Winston has been sucking for a lot longer, but some of ya’ll will be butt hurt if someone calls his pathetic play out. Deshaun Watson > Jameis Winston any day.
Dumb and dumber. The fanbase around this blog.
December 24th, 2018 at 10:48 pm
@CalBucsFan:
Very nice post with great statistical data to back up your reasoning.
You should probably insult someone next time though, or at least use terrible grammar and spelling to make your points.
tickrdr
December 25th, 2018 at 11:22 am
@tickrdr:
No need to insult anyone here, there’s plenty of others doing that on this site already. I get it though, like me, most are just frustrated as hell at the inability of this team to improve year after year, regardless of who’s coaching or lining up.
Merry Christmas anyways, and hopefully 2019 brings a Happy Bucaneer New Year!
December 25th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
Ridiculous take considering the “#1” TE hasn’t finished a season. If they cut ties with him it’s further proof of the disfunction that is this front office.
December 26th, 2018 at 11:17 am
I proposed trading Brate, Jackson, and Fitzpatrick before the trade deadline (when they were hot commodities) – and I liked all three players. In true Bucs fashion – we will end up losing all three and getting zero compensation. Also, they basically contributed nothing after the trade deadline. Go Bucs! Bye Licht.