Maturity Yes, Power No
August 4th, 2022
Rookie tight end Cade Otton
The chatter at One Buc Palace regarding rookie tight end Cade Otton is a mixed bag.
The man picked first in Round 4 this year comes from a coaching and playing family, and football is in his DNA and his pigskin IQ is high. Fellow tight end Cameron Brate still can’t believe Otton plays barehanded at all times.
“Cade’s a very cerebral player. You won’t see all the speed and the power but you look up and he’s always doing the right thing, he’s always in the right place,” Bowles said. “He has great hands, he understands how to play the game. A lot of young players don’t have that. He has that coming in so that’s going to benefit him going forward.”
Bowles went on to talk about how Otton needs to get stronger, and that he is behind his peers because he was injured, presumably rehabbing after offseason ankle surgery (though Joe’s unsure of how/why that would have slowed his upper body work.)
Harvard man tight end Brate called Otton “super smart” and noted that the rookie “already is really good blocker, like technically you can tell he’s been coached really well.”
Otton sure sounds like a guy to look for in the second half of the season, if he finds any snaps in the offense.
As Brate said of himself, why throw to me when you have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones?
If Otton is as smart and technically sound as advertised, then Joe does expect him to be at least a decent special teams contributor.
August 4th, 2022 at 6:25 am
nfl has some big boys. takes a bit to get svelte and burly under the pro trainers. that will come- you can’t fix lazy or stupid so he’s ahead there. just look at Tom Terrific’s nfl draft photo – nothing terrific there lol
August 4th, 2022 at 7:07 am
The raw power from blocking has more to do with your base than your upper body but what do I know I haven’t reported on football for 10+ yrs.
August 4th, 2022 at 7:08 am
If there were any player who knows smart…it’s Cam Brate…..if Otten is as good as Brate & can block….we have a winner.
I just love this draft class…..
August 4th, 2022 at 7:27 am
Unless the offense has changed since BA stepped aside the TE isn’t the focal point anway. Ko will probably be the better fit especially because we keep hearing the Bucs want to run more than in the past.
August 4th, 2022 at 7:45 am
the over all hit on our oline this season might change the offensive narrative from more run to more quick pass, slants, screens to any four of our top wr, tight ends and rbs etc… I think we will see some jumbo packages with multiple te sets to help bolster the line. Still going to be a very good and a fun to watch team, but there are a number of great teams this year, go to be interesting and fun to watch play out. lets go Bucs!!!
August 4th, 2022 at 7:50 am
He’s still a kid! Jesus God. Fournette puts on weight as he matures, and it’s an international incident. This kid needs time to grow and he’s a problem.
I’ll take his acumen anyway over OJ’s “athleticism.”
August 4th, 2022 at 7:59 am
I take this as a huge positive. Can train to get stronger at least to a certain extent. 2nd half savior!
Cannot force a dude to be smart & have work ethic. They have that or don’t by the time a guy is 20+. I know…I’m not smart & I go to this site first every morning vs. money-making activities.
Suh.
August 4th, 2022 at 8:46 am
SPEED AND POWER beat “brains” in football, especially at TE. So this kid better live in the F-ing weight room for the next 5 months. We need another Gronk, not another Brate.
Hopefully Ko is all speed, power and aggression. We need at least one animal at TE.
August 4th, 2022 at 9:00 am
You can see he needs some time in the weight room.
For a tight end, he looks undersized
August 4th, 2022 at 9:42 am
You can line Otton up anywhere you’d want to line a TE up, he’s going to get stronger with time so that’s less red flag and more about getting into pro football shape. With Rudolph and Brate to make Ottons’ transition less rushed, he’ll have the time to acclimate himself to blocking pros on special teams, getting stronger, and more familiar with the playbook.
August 4th, 2022 at 10:11 am
@Chris Tucker@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa
Otton is 6’5″ 245lbs that is not undersized. Oj Howard is 6’6″ 251Lbs.
One inch and 6 lbs difference.
August 4th, 2022 at 10:18 am
@Chris Tucker@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa
Undersized? Otton at 6’5″ 245lbs is 1 inch shorter and 6 lbs lighter then O.J Howard, 6’6 251lbs and he is 19 lbs lighter then Gronk at 6’6″ 264lbs
August 4th, 2022 at 10:23 am
In season physical development doesn’t really happen. Mostly it’s maintenance during the season, so this guy may not be physically ready to excel until next year, but I do think he’s our future starting TE, and should be a pretty good one.
August 4th, 2022 at 10:40 am
It would be interesting if Bug Howard or Ko Kieft is active on game days and Otton is inactive. Everybody would be saying wasted pick or bad pick.
But it could also turn out like 1st year of:
1. Alex Cappa.
2. Ronald Jones. (who just was not strong enough yet)
3. Anthony Nelson.
4. Caleb Benenoch.
Just never know with 2nd and 3rd day draft picks. They do not all hit.
August 4th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Every player has to get stronger, when they start playing NFL football.
Everyone.
Nothing new there.
Im much more concerned about the Oline. Meybe Otton can help there.
We are drowning in Skill players, but still don’t know who our left guard and Center will be.
It starts up front. All the skill players in the world wont matter, if Brady is under constant pressure
August 4th, 2022 at 12:06 pm
I don’t believe the narrative we will run more…
I wish we would especially against great pass rushing teams more bubble screens with rb n te..some scotty godwin n gage..
But I imagine we will pass like crazy that’s what we are built for.
August 4th, 2022 at 2:19 pm
Joe obviously is more interested in Big Storm then training. Feet need to be firmly planted in almost every type of lift training. 12oz curls is not training.
August 4th, 2022 at 4:17 pm
Notice this is the same optimistic doublespeak they use to describe Hainsey. Same situation.
A total unknown until they actually play against top NFL competition and succeed or fail.
August 4th, 2022 at 6:07 pm
I think by midseason Otton will be our best tight end. This guy does everything well! He has the “it” factor . He is a plain damn good football player who knows what he is doing. He is deceptively athletic enough. Go watch his highlight film. Seen a couple plays where he gave Aiden Hutchinson hell as a blocker and as a fake block and screen pass. this guy might be huge sleeper. I’m stashing him on my best ball fantasy leagues
August 4th, 2022 at 6:48 pm
Otton definitely needs to add some strength. Unfortunately he was injured and just was ok’d to practice at the start of camp. Don’t expect great things out of him this year. If we can get some solid contributions on Special teams that would be really good this year.