“I Want To Be In The Pro Bowl”
May 22nd, 2024
Lots of big dreams and big themes at One Buc Palace, and quiet Cade Otton is among them.
Otton has shown he’s a very average starting tight end who has been highly productive for a fourth-round draft pick.
That’s not enough for the third-year man and the Bucs’ clear No. 1 tight end.
“I want to be in the Pro Bowl,” Otton said this week when asked if he had a 2024 goal. “I mean, obviously a lot of receiving stats go into that but I want to be a great blocker, too. That doesn’t always get recognized by the media or anything like that. But just amongst our team be known as someone they can count on to run behind or take care of guys on the back side or our runs. So it’s hard to kind of quantify those things, but just building trust in our offense for blocking.”
Joe likes how Otton noted he wants to be trusted as a blocker. Does that mean he hasn’t been?
Otton entering his prime, upgrades on the offensive line, a new running back and an offensive coordinator that seems to know how to scheme a rushing attack — that has to mean a legitimate running game is coming to Tampa this fall. Right?
Regardless, Otton is a critical player on the roster — far more critical than many fans think until another tight end proves he’s worthy of extended playing time.
May 22nd, 2024 at 5:59 pm
I want to see more play from that other tight end who plays like Gronk
May 22nd, 2024 at 6:08 pm
That would be Payne Durham and I believe he will take another step closer to braking out.
May 22nd, 2024 at 6:29 pm
“Pro Bowl my a$$, I’m going to the Super Bowl” Ronde Barber.
May 22nd, 2024 at 6:41 pm
It’s pretty interesting how many players the Bucs have from Washington…
– C. Otton
– V. Vea
– G. Gains
– JTS
– J. McMillan
Almost 10% of the roster.
May 22nd, 2024 at 6:43 pm
I want to be in the Pro Bowl as well, but I think Otten has a better chance than me!
May 22nd, 2024 at 6:43 pm
@marineBuc
And you forgot Culp who we just drafted.
May 22nd, 2024 at 7:17 pm
I noticed as the season progressed, he made a lot more Gronk-type catches
May 22nd, 2024 at 7:29 pm
Gotta be able to punish the secondary after the catch too.
If you wanna be like Gronk
May 22nd, 2024 at 7:38 pm
I dunno, Beeej, I don’t remember ANY Gronk type plays from Otton last year. He needs to make a Biiig jump from ’23 to even smell the pro-bowl or whatever that mess is called.
It’s a nice aspiration though far from being realized.
May 22nd, 2024 at 7:47 pm
ROFL
May 22nd, 2024 at 7:52 pm
@ BigBoi
That’s right.
I left out Culp…
If he makes the team that will be 6 out of 53.
May 22nd, 2024 at 8:17 pm
alkl i want is a million bucks tax free;
May 22nd, 2024 at 8:20 pm
gp says Gotta be able to punish the secondary after the catch too.
If you wanna be like Gronk
gp, (good point)đ«Ą
May 22nd, 2024 at 8:38 pm
Letâs pull for the kid to have a breakout year.
May 22nd, 2024 at 8:41 pm
Grover it’s like 8:41 now. Drink some water man.
May 22nd, 2024 at 9:05 pm
The culture of professionalism is starting to show itself on this team. The young guys are being taught the right way. This is going to pay big dividends next season.The Bucs YPG rushing last year was 88.8 .If this team gets to 115-120 YPG this season look out. They will win 12-13 games barring injury of course . They are closer than many realize and the best part of that is they are a much younger team now . Would not be surprised if Diaby has 15 sacks Braswell 9 and vea 7 and Kancy 8 . This is a pretty good football team . Everything hinges on getting a good running game. That will change the entire makeup of the team and help both sides of the ball.
As always Go BUCS !!!
May 22nd, 2024 at 9:13 pm
@NoClu â âBarring injury of course.â To jump 35% in rushing YPG would be epic, absent a Gale Sayers joining the team. And if the Bucs do that they almost by definition wonât get majorly bit by the injury bug.
May 22nd, 2024 at 10:10 pm
With how Otton performed in the playoffs, I am ready to believe he could break out this season. He seems like he has been around forever, so it is kinda crazy he is only entering year 3. That recent article with Bowles talking about that same thing was interesting. Between him Durham and Culp, I think that is a good room, a potentially very underrated room.
Unfortunately as Cade mentioned, Pro Bowl is going to be tough in this offense. Not enough ball to go around for Cade unless a couple injuries happen or defenses wanna leave our TE available for half the games this season being too focused on the WRs. You need like 800 yards and 6 TDs to make the pro bowl as a TE.
May 22nd, 2024 at 10:50 pm
People seem to forget that both Travis Kelcie and Greg Kittles were mid round draft picks that took a couple of years to develop before becoming All Pro TE’s and stars in their own right. We wasted a No. 1 pick on a TE who never did live up to his draft status and was just average at best. Let’s see how this guy develops and if we can still keep him if he has a stellar 2024 season.
May 22nd, 2024 at 10:57 pm
A tight end who can’t block is actually a wide reciever. Pro Bowl?
Got a lot of work to do Mr. Otten.
Go Bucs!
May 22nd, 2024 at 11:08 pm
This tight end group doesnât have a pro bowler in it but it it looks like a group that can do everything an offense needs them to do, theyâll just do it as a committee. I feel good rolling with Otton but would like to see him improve his hands as well as his blocking. I expect a leap forward from Durham who I think could fill Ottonâs role with little to no drop off if Otton gets injured. Culp and his speed are fun to off-season dream about panning out into a TE that can stretch the field and be a threat after the catch, which is a luxury to have at the TE position. That is another area Otton ought to address if he wants to be a pro bowler. Itâs almost as if catching to ball causes Otton to fall down instantly to the turf. Iâm thrilled Culp somehow instantly blew-up to an ideal TE weight between the combine and rookie camp. Otton and Durham are solid TEs but have little to no big play ability. Coen could gash a couple unsuspecting defenses with the rookie in limited snaps but realistically, a few years from now weâll have forgotten Culp and Otton will not have made a Pro Bowl, but is still a solidly average TE. Even if by what would be a proper miracle, Otton went well past 1000 yards and scored more than a dozen TDs for three straight seasons while laying out three defenders on every run play no one would notice or care- he is playing in Tampa. Let the kid dream but even if he had the talent not a lot of Pro Bowl voters consider the play or production of Buccaneers relevant in the fulfillment of their voting duties.
May 22nd, 2024 at 11:36 pm
There is no Gronk on this roster, thereâs no Gronk on most rosters. Otten is a good player and the best the Bucs have. Glad heâs a Buc, the tight end room could use an upgrade, while not terrible by any means, itâs a weakness on the roster. Thereâs no stud at tight end here.
May 23rd, 2024 at 12:13 am
I like Otton, but how much is he gonna be utilized in this offense? Does Culp with his speed or a 2nd year Durham take away valuable snaps in a 3 WR set all year.
I think itâs interesting that some reports recently cite an increase in 12 personnel and say look at KC. If anyone watched them it was obvious that their WRs were terrible yet they won back to back SBs. They went to 12 personnel by necessity and it was genius by Reid.
Our team is more suited to run a 3 WR set so you wonât see us forcing a square peg in a round hole that way at least.
Itâs also interesting to me that all 4 teams in the NFC South have new OCs. Every single one of them come from the Shanahan or McVay tree somewhat with Canales being more by extension.
The 33rd Team actually ranks Canales and Idzik as the 13th best OC. They have Coen at 24, Robinson at 28 and Kubiak at 30.
Kubiak actually had a winning record at Houston so that should be interesting. I would take Coen next from a sheer experience standpoint then maybe Canales then Robinson who was with McVay for 5 years but has never called plays.
Either way, itâs yet to be determined which OC ends up being the best, even though there is a lot to like about Coen.
Simple saying he is from a good tree, just isnât enough for me as detailed above.
May 23rd, 2024 at 12:26 am
Otton is much better than Durham or Culp and it will very likely stay that way. I seriously wonder if some of you watch football. His game tape in college was much better than both.
May 23rd, 2024 at 12:53 am
Kittle and Hockenson will be tough to beat out
May 23rd, 2024 at 4:36 am
Cade Otton is a great #2 Tight End.
But heâs not a true NFL starting Tight End.
We need to draft a legit Tight End in the 2nd round late 1st round next year.
TE 1- Next years star draft pick
TE 2- Otton: solid number 2 tight end
TE 3: Durham: solid number 3 tight end
TE 4: Culp: solid project (if he can catch!)
Keift? Legend. But doesnât belong on the field.
We need a true number 1 tight end to truly have any chance at winning the Suoer Bowl.
May 23rd, 2024 at 6:41 am
I don’t want to hear the “I want to make the Pro Bowl” or any other individual goals, but I’m glad he followed that up by saying he wants to be a better blocker, something he definitely has room for improvement.
Little and especially Kelce needed time to improve and that came from familiarity with their QB and an offense that features them.
Nobody should expect Otton to be Gronk. Kelce ain’t Gronk either. Gronk was a mismatch for any DB or LB to cover. Kelce thrives on finding soft spots in zone coverage and seeing what Mahomes sees. Put a man on Kelce and he’s average at best (Remember LVD in the Super Bowl).
Otton has one thing that Kelce doesn’t have… he doesn’t fold like a lawn chair when he gets hit by a tiny DB like Kelce. If Otton can be more like Kelce (not Gronk) and get that chemistry with Baker and read the zones pre-snap to know where the holes will be, great. Better blocking is a bonus.
He’ll never punish DBs and LBs like Gronk. There was only one Gronk. Closest comparison in that department was back in the day with Mark Bavarro of the Giants. But like Gronk, when it takes 4 guys to bring you down instead of one, you’re taking 4 hits on your body and that adds up over time, especially when guys number 3 and 4 go for the knees after guys number 1 and 2 slow you down or stand you up. Forget YAC, Gronk needed a new stat for number of yards gained while dragging helpless defenders down the field!
Gronk sure was fun to watch, though. Otton has made improvements each season so far and hearing him still wanting to improve is what winners do (and Pro Bowlers).
May 23rd, 2024 at 8:07 am
I’d settle for improved blocking. He’s been a pretty big liability in the run game. Pretty average pass catcher. I think he’s a better TE2, but he’s the best we’ve got right now.
May 23rd, 2024 at 9:28 am
if he can cut down on the situations like we saw in the first detroit game where anzalone (analzone) was abusing him, then we’ll be the better for it.
May 23rd, 2024 at 10:36 am
Coenâs offense never utilized the TE position at Kentucky⊠That was one of his issues that drove a lot of fans crazy considering we had a really deep and good TE room. I want to see more slants and a lot LESS âWR-screensâ⊠Letâs just entirely scrap those. They rarely worked in THE SEC and theyâre definitely not working in the NFL. I swear it seemed like over 50% of our pass plays were WR-screen. THE Biggest Issue Was Number of Plays Ran, Tempo & Pace. Dead LAST In The NATION.
May 23rd, 2024 at 12:49 pm
Hopein1hand…there’s no hope in football.
May 23rd, 2024 at 4:23 pm
Tight ends don’t necessarily make an offense. They do finish an offense. This is because TE has traditional primary role of being an extension of the offensive line and the more modern role of extending into the receiving corps.
A guy like Jimmie Giles was a great run blocker and a great receiving tight ed. Had he been on a team that threw the ball more, he had the talent for HoF consideration.
Does Otton possess the necessary tools to be that extension into the receiving corps? Does anyone have a 40 time on Cade? At his combine he was DNP on drills.
As for blocking, C Otton has long lean frame. If he were to ad a spot of muscle it would help him hold point of attack better. This would help him achieve his goal of being an extension of the O-Line for run blocking.
With two 1K yard receivers are there enough yards to go around to get Cade into elite status of tight ends?
Tight end corps will be as follows:
1. Cade Otton
2. Payne Durham
3. David Wells
4. Devin Culp
Taxi Squad (I’m old fashioned):
5. Hunter Kampmoyer (I like the name)
Odd Men Out:
6. Tanner Taula
7. Ko Kieft
Wish To Use Time Machine To Retrieve Player:
8. Jimmie Giles