The Cam Brate Question
February 10th, 2020
Potential cap casualty?
Joe would hate for this to happen. Alas, we live in the real world where cut-throat accounting rules the day.
In his solid weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column on SI.com, Albert Breer offered a list of potential salary cap cuts. It is a thorough list and there are names the Bucs might want to study for a potential bargain-bin buy.
Breer has one potential salary cap casualty that is troubling but easily predictable. And that would be Bucs tight end Cam Brate.
Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate (cap savings: $6 million): The Bucs have worked hard to develop OJ Howard, and Bruce Arians’s offense just isn’t that tight end–friendly. That makes paying Brate starters’ money a little difficult, even if he remains a good player.
Nothing remotely inaccurate that Breer wrote here, but the background is the key.
Can the Bucs afford to keep Brate? Likely. Can they afford to cut him? That’s a fully different story.
Look, if O.J. Howard, a former first-round pick, had a decent 2019 season, Brate might just be looking for a realtor in another city (even though Brate bought a pad in trendy South Tampa). But Howard had a rotten season, easily his worst in the NFL and it made one wonder if Brate should get more snaps than Howard.
If last year is how Howard plays in Arians’ offense, then he is as much a liability as Brate would be (Brate is a very good receiving tight end but not much of a blocker).
If Brate is tossed aside, the best tight end the Bucs have after Howard is free agent-to-be Antony Auclair, who is a good blocker but not much of a receiver, sort of the anti-Brate.
So even though Brate’s salary is bloated for the number of snaps and production he logs in an Arians’ offense, can the Bucs actually afford to let him walk?
February 10th, 2020 at 12:14 pm
Id trade howard
February 10th, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Auclair should be turned into a fullback, oh, wait, Arians doesn’t do fullbacks either.
I would try to get a second round draft pick for Howard. Brady and Belichick could make something out of him. He will be wasted in a Bcs uniform
February 10th, 2020 at 12:22 pm
This is what happens when the below avg GM over paid for one good year of brate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 10th, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Have to trade Brate, if possible…If not – cut him.
It’s a business move.
The BA/Leftwich OFF has TE is so far down progression tree, it’s not worth spending $10M on the position.
February 10th, 2020 at 12:33 pm
Can we atleast ask the guy to take a pay cut first before we throw him away?
February 10th, 2020 at 12:46 pm
This is a no-brainer. Brate is toast. Howard is better than he showed last year, so is Hudson who wasn’t even mentioned. Bucs offense doesn’t need to commit dollars to the positon and Howard is the less expensive and more valuable piece. Cap casualty, end of story.
February 10th, 2020 at 12:53 pm
If we are barely using Brate and Howard, then what is the point in keeping them? Get something for them if you can and keep on keeping on. Too many mouths to feed and we need to pay players that actually contribute.
February 10th, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Trade Howard or you will see Brate twice a season when we play the Panthers. The Buc’s have a nasty habit of rewarding failure and cutting success.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Brate is a good redzone player but that’s it. I’m sure the Bucs can find another TE at a cheaper cost who can catch the ball in the end zone. Hudson or even that McElroy may suffice.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Won’t be cut but you can surely see one of the top 2 TEs being moved.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:06 pm
I would try to trade either one and who ever gets the best offer that’s who I’d trade. I wouldn’t wanna see Brate get released because we all know he would go to a team in the division my first guess would be the Falcons followed by the Saints and lastly the Panthers. I think OJ would have the most trade value but looking at him I do question if he is kinda soft. I was never sold on getting OJ at 17 in the 2017 draft but you see the talent in him but I guess BA and Byron don’t see it which is crazy.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:06 pm
Cut..cut..cut. 6 mill back in piggy bank.
Too easy to replace right before camp at 1/3 the price. No problem.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Frankly, Perriman would be more of an asset to this team than Brate.
Hardworking…yes, Smart…yes… a great teammate…yes. But worth the salary? No.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:16 pm
Brate didn’t get drafted there are plenty of tight ends available this year bye bye.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:27 pm
If you were going to deal Howard , then you should have accomplished that when the Pats were interested last season. Tanner Hudson has good hands and can fill loss of Brate nicely.
BA should take accountability for not using Howard properly , Howard is a vertical threat TE , just look at his productivity his rook season , but he is not a post up Kelce type. Howard is also a good blocking TE. Coaches need to design some plays where OJ is the primary option down the field.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:32 pm
When Arians first took over didn’t he say he was going to build the offense around the skills of his players? It sure seems that he’s failed to do that….big time.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:35 pm
No doubt Brate had a better 2019 than Howard. However, brates season was nothing special. He is declining. Never had any speed. His great hands only ok the last couple of seasons and he is more expensive than Howard.
Good luck or sign a very team friendly deal.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Keep all. Ask Brate to re-structure his deal–bonuses, push some money later. If you get the 2020 cap hit down to $4M, that’s good…and doable. If you need three TEs these are the three to keep. Focus elsewhere.
February 10th, 2020 at 1:43 pm
If perriman caught on so could….tanner Hudson. Hudson is 4x faster than brate with hands of gold
February 10th, 2020 at 1:43 pm
I love Brate …..Outstandig player, great teammate… Iwould hate to let him go….But I guess he is one of the few trading asstes we have…….
Sometimes I wonder …Is their any chance we someday have a decent GM…….The last 10 years has been devastating……..Dominic and Light have killed this team…….How on earth you can have so many really good FA at the same time……..Is just sad…..
February 10th, 2020 at 1:47 pm
Realisto is correct this is how our GM screws it over pays Brate and then drafts OJ HOWARD …who does that!!? THE BUCS THAT’S WHO…for those who wonder why we be in cap space hell!!!
February 10th, 2020 at 1:50 pm
Tap the brakes on Hudson…admittedly looked good in pre-season…looked lost/overmatched in regular season…particularly in the red zone.
February 10th, 2020 at 2:00 pm
Guys Rivers will come to Tampa and make OJ Howard better, get rid of Brate
February 10th, 2020 at 2:07 pm
WillieG Says:
February 10th, 2020 at 1:32 pm
“When Arians first took over didn’t he say he was going to build the offense around the skills of his players? It sure seems that he’s failed to do that….big time.”
No elaboration on that …just…. big time.
I don’t see what you’re talking about explain if you can.
We have TWO 1000 yrd WR’s….
February 10th, 2020 at 2:11 pm
Time out … how exactly is Brate better than Howard?
o Games: Brate – 16 … Howard – 14
o Targets: Brate – 55 … Howard – 53
o Catches: Brate – 36 … Howard – 34
o Catch %: Brate – 65.5% … Howard – 64.2%
o Yards: Brate – 311 … Howard – 459
o YBC: Brate – 221 … Howard – 309
o YAC: Brate – 90 … Howard – 150
o TDs: Brate – 4 … Howard – 1
o Fumbles: Brate – 0 … Howard – 1
o 1st Downs: Brate – 21 … Howard – 23
o Drop %: Brate – 4.3% … Howard – 9.4%
o Offensive snaps: Brate – 431 (38%) … Howard – 782 (69%)
BOTH had off years. But apparently BA & BL thought OJ’s skillset needed to be on the field more. Hopefully this year they both do better, IF they both stay.
February 10th, 2020 at 2:13 pm
Trade Brate, too much salary on a bad hip.
Make OJ either your WR3 ( I think he’d be great at it) or a T. Or trade him too…just eliminate the TE position, more than Leftfoot already has. Sign more tackles
Make Vea our Juszczyk. He’s only playing 50% of D snaps right? Nobody wants to tackle him in the flat.
February 10th, 2020 at 2:31 pm
I would see what Cincinnati wants for that #1 overall pick.
It might take Joe Burrow saying he wouldn’t play for Cincinnati?
It would probably take quite a bit, if they would even consider it.
Perhaps our #14 this year, and our #1 next year, plus one of either Howard or Brate.
Better yet, sign and then trade Jameis, and keep one of those picks.
(ducks and tries to run for cover……. too old for that chit)
tickrdr
February 10th, 2020 at 2:50 pm
have him take a pay cut to 3 mil…and when he comes to sign the redone contract, on the way out he picks up a duffle bag with 3 mil in it, tosses it over his shoulder and leaves…
simple
🙂
February 10th, 2020 at 2:51 pm
No doubt OJ ( Mr. OVERATED) needs to go. Hopefully some team out there has not watched much film of iron hands and maybe we can salvage a 3rd round pick. I’ll say it again there was a reason he lasted until the 18th pick. Maybe rework Brate deal and keep Auclair.
February 10th, 2020 at 4:34 pm
Never should have drafted OJ! We had just resigned brate should have jumped on cook!
February 10th, 2020 at 5:34 pm
This is a tough one because, neither TE did or played “well”. OJ was on the field more because of “blocking” (which was suspect, at best!). IMO, there are TEs who could replace their “production” out there, and cheaper.
BOTH are expendable IMO.
February 10th, 2020 at 5:49 pm
IF by some miracle we land Brady, Brate is a must keep. Stretch out his money, guarantee it and extend him. Brady and Brate would become the Killer B’s quickly.
February 10th, 2020 at 7:22 pm
O J Howard- use him or lose him.
February 10th, 2020 at 7:45 pm
Brate played hurt in 2019. Brate IS better than OJ. Trade OJ for a 2nd and 4th. Keep Brate. He’s a much better receiver, better in the red zone and has chemistry with JW (assuming we keep him).
February 10th, 2020 at 10:32 pm
Brate’s a touchdown machine. If the Bucs aren’t gonna use him I’m sure there are many other teams that can see the value in him. Lots of decisions for the bucs to make.
February 10th, 2020 at 11:11 pm
Maybe Brate can restructure his contract, to be more cap friendly like Evans did? Not saying brate is Evans, just to be clear.
February 11th, 2020 at 12:42 am
Rob Tanner Says:
“Maybe Brate can restructure his contract, to be more cap friendly like Evans did?”
.
.
Evans let the team pay him some more up-front (bonus) money, allowing the team to operate on credit which they have to repay via lowered salary cap the next few years. It was the Bucs taking out a loan. Not any skin off Evan’s back, and not cap friendly. This is why our team typically does not front-load contracts. Because it hurts you later.
February 11th, 2020 at 1:45 am
A total failure of imagination and sense by this coaching staff to not use a top tier tight end.
Incompetent
February 11th, 2020 at 9:28 am
80 million + in cap space and we don’t have enough for brate? smh
February 11th, 2020 at 10:32 am
Craig Says:
February 10th, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Auclair should be turned into a fullback, oh, wait, Arians doesn’t do fullbacks either.
—————-
WTF does it matter if Auclair is a FB or TE? He can and does line up in the backfield like a FB and he can and does line up on the LOS like a TE. The Redskins of the 80’s under Joe Gibbs didn’t have a FB either, he used his TEs as FBs… just like Arians does. Gibbs called his FB/TE an H-Back. The difference between a TE and FB is usually size. Neither one carries the football these days. FBs tend to be shorter and TEs tend to be taller and heavier. So what’s better? TEs being used as FBs tend to be more versatile as they can line up either in the backfield or on the LOS.. while FBs are far less likely to line up on the LOS.
February 12th, 2020 at 8:13 pm
I should have been more clear. The BUCS should restructure others contracts into bonus’s to create more cap room. 🙄