Underrated Cam Brate
September 18th, 2021
Surprising numbers.
So, here’s a good bar bet.
Next time you and a buddy are at the bar pounding Big Storm beers, throw a $20 wager on the bar and ask him which Bucs tight end has the most touchdowns since 2016.
Pretty good hunch — provided your friend doesn’t regularly read JoeBucsFan.com (and if he doesn’t, you need new friends) — your buddy will say “Rob Gronkowski.”
He would be wrong and you will be $20 richer.
The Bucs tight end with the most touchdowns since 2016 is none other than Cam Brate.
How underrated is Brate? Only three tight ends since 2016 have more touchdowns.
That’s pretty damn impressive. Brate is tied with three other tight ends for the fourth-most touchdowns since 2016 (26).
Brate could finish this season trailing only Travis Kelce of the Chiefs for most touchdowns by a tight end since 2016. He’s also climbing the charts in NFL history. For all tight ends who were undrafted, only four others have more touchdowns than Brate.
So is Brate underrated? Hell, yes.
September 18th, 2021 at 12:57 am
Harvard Pedigree. I would think Tom will lean on him at times this yr. after getting to know him. The fact that he had 3x the snaps OJ had says at least a little bit.
September 18th, 2021 at 2:03 am
#FunFact: Brate is one of the last living descendants of Early Man
September 18th, 2021 at 2:05 am
Antonio Gates… Wow. What a player he was. Guys like Kelce and Kittle are very impressive and even Jimmy Graham in his day, but no one even come close to Gates. As for Brate, he was Koetter’s favorite weapon and Winston leaned on him hard. A lot of times to a fault and Brate has taken some big big blows because of it. I don’t think he’s the player he once was and he’s clearly not a BA favorite. In BAs offense if you don’t have the ball and you’re not a QB you better block and block well.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:07 am
From 2016 onward, Brate has played in 79 games to Gronk’s 51. Most know Gronk retired in 2019 and has been oft injured when he has played, until last year.
Granted, most wouldn’t know the game count over the past five years but most would know Gronk retired and suffered multiple injuries in recent years before the retirement. Therefore, most would pick Brate.
If you find a guy in a bar who would choose Gronk over Brate, I’d bet another $20 he was either very drunk or a soccer fan.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:30 am
” or a soccer fan”
laughing and spitting my coffee.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:45 am
Brate > OJ. Should have traded OJ years ago.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:49 am
Should be sitting in the No. 2 spot by the end of the year. Don’t think he’ll ever catch Kelce.
September 18th, 2021 at 9:08 am
Waller from Vegas is clear top 3. Brate is reliable smart , good hands. And its good to be under the radar.. getting the 2nd coverage.;)
September 18th, 2021 at 10:21 am
@BigPoppa: Arians may not be a Brate fanboi, but every Buc QB has been, Brady included.
September 18th, 2021 at 10:23 am
Truth is though is he’s not better than Gronk. As long as Gronk stays healthy both Brate, and O.J. are high priced luxuries. This offense is wide receiver driven, not enough plays for three talented TE’s. O.J., or Brate should be traded, don’t see the need for both.
September 18th, 2021 at 10:23 am
Unfortunately, Brate is a one-trick pony. He is a reliable ball catcher and willing to take the big hits, but his blocking is seriously sub-par.
September 18th, 2021 at 12:40 pm
Cobra. And OJ is not? Much rather have Brate. Always have.
September 18th, 2021 at 2:39 pm
We should try trading oj for a cb or some db help
September 18th, 2021 at 3:34 pm
I’ll always remember him for losing that game vs Texans when he dropped that incredibly easy 4th down pass with 3 mins to. Is he underrated? No, people think he’s a good pass catching receiver – at least if the pressure isn’t on. Can he block? No. Can he get open if he’s the focus of the defense? No. But as a 3rd TE, he’s a great mismatch.
September 18th, 2021 at 4:50 pm
No one catches every pass no matter who they are, but look at the stats and see that Brate does catch around 70% of them. He was invaluable in the playoffs last year. I’d put Brate up against 95% of the TEs around. He’s been a very important asset to the bucs. The best ability is availability and he has been that.
September 18th, 2021 at 5:53 pm
I always smile and/or cringe at the trade O.J. comments. He has zero trade value at this point. He was actually “fortunate” in a very weird way to get injured ( not really of course ) as his 5 year option became guaranteed. If he gives anything at the end of the season/playoffs when Tampa is fighting to stay alive…we should consider that a bonus.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:27 pm
OJ is a better blocker than Brate, when healthy.
Low bar, I know.
OJ just doesn’t seem to have that fire and nasty streak needed to be a top tier tight end in the pros. It’s a shame.
Then again I feel like he’ll leave and go to New Orleans and Sean Peyton will turn him into a touchdown machine.
September 19th, 2021 at 8:07 am
Many a dollar has been lost betting on a horse that looked like a stud but turned out to be a dud. OJ has the look but never lived up to expectations. But NFL history is full of similar stories. Brate is an over achiever. OJ has had a few highlights but not what was expected. Not that rare of a result.