Surging Cade Otton
November 6th, 2023
How about that career game yesterday for tight end Cade Otton, the first pick of Round 4 in last year’s draft!
Joe is happy for the guy. He was a good draft pick and he’s probably an even nicer dude.
Otton had his best game of the season and probably his best game as a pro yesterday with 6 catches for 70 yards including 2 touchdowns. His 24-yard completion early in the game got the Bucs offense out of the gate. Yeah, Otton got stripped and it was a turnover. Joe’s willing to overlook that in the spirit of a young player developing.
Considering the Bucs aren’t pounding the ball into their stud receivers relentlessly, Tampa Bay desperately needs Otton to thrive because they don’t have another quality tight end.
Ko Kieft is a bottom-of-the-roster NFL player. David Wells is in the same boat. And rookie Payne Durham is a project.
Otton making a leap in second season, something strong players typically do, would go a long way toward keeping the Bucs in the playoff chase. That’s assuming their defense can bounce back from their worst performance in many years.
November 6th, 2023 at 10:43 am
Otton is a decent TE if they would learn how to use him. Yesterday was the first time I think I have actually seen them send him up the middle down the field. usually it’s this 8 or 10 yard out or turn around play.
November 6th, 2023 at 10:58 am
Impact player……he is not!!!!!!
His run blocking is non-existent Joe.
He’s been very invisible since he’s been drafted.
November 6th, 2023 at 11:05 am
He’s a bigger version of Brate…..great receiver, willing but mediocre blocker
November 6th, 2023 at 11:07 am
This guy can’t block!
Why they continually ask him to do this is beyond me. Pretty good hands.
He has a place on the roster.. since we have no other TE.
But stop asking him to block. He is no good at it.
Square peg, round hole.
November 6th, 2023 at 11:11 am
ALL I CARE ABOUT AT THIS POINT IS WHEN WILL THEY FIRE THESE AS HATS!!!
November 6th, 2023 at 11:16 am
The Scheme is heavy use Tight End – timing and comfort between QB and TE is paramount.
Mayfield and Otten are developing their chemistry more now.
It is coming late because of splitting reps in the preseason.
The QB competition undermined offensive development and 1-3 losses this season.
November 6th, 2023 at 11:27 am
Maybe he works out for the next staff and QB?
November 6th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Someone wrote: “This team is not fun to watch.” That is spot on.
This is a lousy team. Lousy players who have no fire or desire or pride. Look at Davis yesterday. No pride. Tryon? An embarrassment. Shaq and his stupid penalty? David with his missed tackles at the worst possible time? Where is the Sapp? The Brooks? The Lynch?
This is a team of passive, nice guys who would be terrible in a fight.
Licht needs to rethink his assessment of players. None of these guys care.
November 6th, 2023 at 12:17 pm
Why so many non-sequiter comments? Probably half the thing Joe posts allow people to rag on the coaching staff and all the rest of it. I get it. I’m a frustrated fan too. But this post is about a tight end. And I agree, he did a great job yesterday. I think he’s an average tight end with above average ceiling. I think Bobby M put it best.
November 6th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
what impressed me the most was his blocking he has never ever blocked like he did last game hope he keeps up the great work
November 6th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
How do you know you’ve hit rock bottom?
When the silver lining article is about Cade Otton making 6 catches.
I feel for you, Joe. The Bucs aren’t making it easy. Let’s start talking about The Draft. We used to start those discussions about this time each year during the Winston era.
November 6th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
He was one of the few guys on the team who didnt lay down.
Our Offensive “stars” were on coast, except for a few plays where they could get big yardage. They sure werent gonna risk getting hit.
Not for Bowles.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:30 pm
WE NEED TODD BOWLES OUTTA TAMPA FOR GOOD
November 6th, 2023 at 4:30 pm
FIRE TODD BOWLES
November 6th, 2023 at 7:07 pm
I like Otton. If TB12 trust him as he did last year then that’s all that needs to be said. He will keep developing into a stud. Nice bright spot to a horrific defense collapse yesterday. If the Bucs D don’t bounce back this week vs titans then I will jump on the bandwagon for the fire Bowles. I was mad yesterday and did say we should fire him. Today I have calmed down
November 6th, 2023 at 7:08 pm
Considering how conservative and dull this offense is, his projected line of 60 catches, 512 yards and 6 TDs is not bad at all.
In a real, modern NFL offense playing 17 games, that’s probably more like a 75-700-8 line, which would be pretty good.
November 6th, 2023 at 8:28 pm
What a surprise. Both he and Rasheed White had productive games. Canales and the O are starting to jell. Guess we better fire them, right?
November 6th, 2023 at 9:54 pm
ko kieft and payne durham–typical licht picks==projects. JTS is noah spence but no injury. just as soon get rid of licht if someone better is available–licht iss way too much a bargain hunter
November 6th, 2023 at 11:05 pm
I thought it was a very entertaining game and I enjoyed it, mostly, except for TB and CD and the way we lost.
November 7th, 2023 at 6:16 am
I would trade his production for the correct amount from Godwin. And some better blocking from Otton on run plays though Joe.
Go Bucs!
November 7th, 2023 at 10:01 am
While we’re waiting for all of our draft picks like Otton to “develop” we get the cheap, rookie contracts and the mediocre play that goes with it. That’s why the few smart teams who are consistently competitive don’t try to build through the draft. They let the majority of the GMs who lust after the “shiny new toys” in the draft trade their “mostly developed” or “under-utilized” and SMART young players for a few draft picks (see lottery tickets for odds of winning).
How did we get Jensen? Or Shaq?
Teams (and their fans) who say “We need a center so let’s draft a center” will get a kid who is most likely nowhere near ready to play to fill that need. Maybe in 2 or 3 years the kid can finally fill the role but in the meantime…..losses pile up.
Smart teams also don’t fall in love with their players and pay them crazy amounts to the detriment of the overall success of the team. Look at KC. They drafted Tyreek Hill. Excellent player with many years ahead of him. Rather than pay him a king’s ransom to make him a “Chief for life” they moved on and used the money to bolster their roster in other areas. And they also don’t break the bank to sign big-money “stars”. You don’t need all-pros at every position. Regular Joes become stars by playing on a winning team.
It starts with a quality HC and staff and a good to very good QB. The other positions or groups of players (o-line, DBs, etc) are always works in progress. Players decline, get too big for their britches and want mega-deals so you move on. It’s business, not a loyalty exercise, and the business is winning.
KC, Baltimore, NE (when they had a QB but still have a solid D), etc. They have (or had) those main pieces in place and remain in the hunt, year after year. Meanwhile the rest of the teams might flash for a season or 2 when their draft picks finally develop or they break the bank on FAs. Then the FAs walk, the now-developed draft pick wants big money elsewhere and right back to mediocrity.
We might get lucky and draft a quality QB (but I still feel Baker is good enough with better coaching) and even luckier if we can lure Jim Harbaugh to be HC but Licht might stand in the way of the latter. I think Harbaugh will want what Parcells said “If I’m going to be asked to cook the meal, I’d like to be able to pick the groceries”. Odds of showing Licht the door in favor of signing Harbaugh aren’t great.
It’s the Bucs so I don’t expect much to change. We could be in for another 15-year playoff drought or, if the scouts spend more time scouting current NFL players who fly under the radar instead of college kids playing with and against future insurance salesmen and grocery baggers, it might change. Draft a couple of “must haves” to satisfy the sweet tooth and use the rest to dangle in front of the other GMs (suckers) to trade for players who can play now but won’t kill your cap. Let the other teams lose while they “develop” the picks. And when their “high, 2nd round pick” doesn’t turn into an all-pro and they deem him a “bust” based on his draft position, scoop him up if he’s a smart young player and coach him up. Even the best teams only have a few all-pros. The rest are hard workers and smart. Moneyball that sh*t.