Strong Appreciation For Cade Otton
June 21st, 2022
Rookie tight end Cade Otton picks up a strong and intriguing endorsement.
A former Tom Brady teammate and Patriots Super Bowl hero has spent the past four years calling Pac-12 games and is super-high on a Bucs rookie.
And it might not be the draft pick you think it is.
Shane Vereen spent four years with Brady at running back before bolting to the Giants and retiring to a media gig. Co-hosting for SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Vereen gushed over rookie tight end Cade Otton, Tampa Bay’s selection when they held the first pick of Round 4.
“He is going to be one of the top rookie pass catchers, in my opinion, this season. He is that good of a tight end,” Vereen said.
Vereen said he’s literally studied Otton for four seasons and sees a guy pro-ready and Brady-ready. Per Vereen, COVID issues, injuries and other problems at the University of Washington last year held Otton back from realizing his senior-year potential.
“Cade Otton is a great, great tight end. He was a great college tight end. And I think he has the wherewithal and the smarts to get on the same page in a Tom Brady offense, and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Vereen said.
Unfortunately, Otton hasn’t practiced yet as a Buccaneer because of offseason ankle surgery. Whether he can contribute as a rookie is unclear, but Joe is welcoming the Vereen endorsement with open arms.
Imagine how wild it would be if Vereen is correct, and Otton is one of the top rookie pass catchers this season.
June 21st, 2022 at 1:07 pm
He won’t be. With Gronk and Brate his opportunities will be limited.
June 21st, 2022 at 1:36 pm
Bucs fans had better pray they don’t get to find out. It either means Gronk is hurt, or Brate completely sucks.
June 21st, 2022 at 1:41 pm
Every day that goes by less like gronk plays. We shall see
June 21st, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Brate is getting slow, so this is good insurance to have.
June 21st, 2022 at 1:51 pm
Otton, Gage, how many other new players come with injuries?
June 21st, 2022 at 2:04 pm
@Beeej – Bucs invested in a lot players with serious injury history this offseason. In addition to the two you’ve listed Logan Hall (elbow surgery), Andre Anthony (ACL), & Luke Goedeke (Knee & Hamstring) have all rehabbed or dealt with serious injury in the past year.
Hopefully those concerns are behind them and full healthy careers are ahead of them all.
June 21st, 2022 at 2:08 pm
If Otton performs, Gronk signs and Brate remains steady, we’ll have the three headed monster I hoped for with Howard. Neither Gronk or Brate are technically young players and having a competent to good third option can mean the ability to run 12 or heavy personnel without hesitation.
June 21st, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Just heard Gronk is retiring. Ugh.
June 21st, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Both our rookie Tight Ends getting love….
Yet a Joe just early today wrote that “Without Gronk, the Bucs are paper-thin at tight end.”
I get that they are rookies and haven’t proven anything on gamedays yet – but there’s a reason Licht drafted both these players and spent 2 of our 8 draft picks this year on the Tight End position.
Gronk will be back for 1 more year – but the GM is wisely planning for life after Gronk (and Brate). Hopefully 1 year with a pro like Brate and the best TE of all time mentoring will have these rooks ready to contribute in 2022 and “take over” in 2023….
June 21st, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Except it looks like Gronk is retiring….
June 21st, 2022 at 2:28 pm
Breaking News, Gronk is retiring.
June 21st, 2022 at 2:30 pm
I hope that “report” about Gronk is wrong….. we’ll see….
If its true – then Otton and Kieft will need to play well as rookies and Licht needs to bring in another solid vet TE…..
June 21st, 2022 at 2:32 pm
Pickgrin, me too, but it makes sense. That rib/lung injury made a big impact on him. Had that not happened, I think he would’ve played one more year
June 21st, 2022 at 2:34 pm
@a bucs fan, I noticed that too and it concerned me as well, at the time of the draft. We may have gotten a bunch of injury-prone players. Sigh. Time will tell. Gronk is out for sure.
June 21st, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Rookie TEs rarely produce much in the way of yards or TDs.
The Bucs need to trade for a vet TE.
June 21st, 2022 at 3:10 pm
We lookin at our TE2 right here, gunna kill it
June 21st, 2022 at 3:36 pm
If Gronk comes back, it will be after the first 4 games.
Those are hard hitting over the middle teams.
The slimy saints are rib hitters!
June 21st, 2022 at 4:44 pm
Guy may be great in college. But they all have to prove it in the Pro’s.
June 21st, 2022 at 7:42 pm
That’s a sweet number 88 jersey. Have to scoop one if it’s worth it. We’ll see.
June 21st, 2022 at 8:04 pm
He’s a beast. 6’5” 250 lbs and 32 3/4’ length. Gronk come back to be a TE coach at least.
June 21st, 2022 at 8:27 pm
Curious to see how Otton takes to playing in an offense that’ll push him to be more of an all-around TE than what the program at UW demanded of him. Personally, I want to see how he holds up as a blocker. I think that’s what gets him up the ladder to more playing time, escpecially if McElory blows his opportunity. We’ll see, but with Gronk gone, we’ll another roster battle going on in the TE room.
June 21st, 2022 at 11:16 pm
Be serious. Otton is a rookie playing in a league where most rookie TEs require two years to mature. He’s a raw fourth-rounder that might have some traits. But then he missed OTAs due to injury. Sure, he could be better than Gronk. Or Spiderman. Or Batman. Or Superman. Then again, we could keep this real.
June 22nd, 2022 at 12:38 pm
we need an athletic TE with size and speed asap. Should start looking into potential trade scenarios. Gronk was slow at TE, Brate is slower, and Otton is an injured rookie.