Bucs Confident Cade Otton Will Improve His Blocking
May 10th, 2024
Bucs TEs coach pleads patience.
Maybe it is just Joe, but toward the final few games of the 2024 season, Bucs tight end Cade Otton appeared to turn the corner.
Otton played the best ball of his young career late in the season and into the playoffs. It was cool to see.
Still, Otton is a far cry from foot-rubbing tight end Rob Gronkowski when it comes to blocking. For that matter, Joe isn’t sure Otton is on the same level as O.J. Howard was pre-Achilles injury. And Howard wasn’t exactly Jimmie Giles when it came to crushing defensive ends and linebackers.
This week, Bucs tight ends coach Justin Peelle noted that for some young tight ends, it takes a while to figure out blocking. A big reason is blocking tight ends aren’t much of a thing in college football. Tight ends are basically little more than big receivers for many programs.
And learning how to block on the NFL level is a helluva task.
“Fatigue and technique,” is how Peelle summed up less-than-stellar blocking from Otton and others. “You have to remember how young these guys are. They are coming from college where a lot of times, they are not asked to [block].
“With kids coming out so early, they are still developing. They are still getting stronger. And then, yeah, there is some technique stuff that you need to work on.”
Peelle went on to explain how difficult it is for a guy who wasn’t much of a blocker in college.
“[Otton] is only going into his third year,” Peelle cautioned. “It takes some time to get that down. And you’re going to face some really good defensive players, especially in this division that you’ve got to have your technique right.
“You’ve got to have your strength. And you have to have an understanding of where you have to be and when you have to be there.”
Last year Otton played 97 percent of the offensive snaps, one of the most on the Bucs. Peelle ideally would like to whittle that number down a little to keep Otton fresh.
That, in turn, will help with his blocking, Peelle said.
“A lot of [blocking acumen] comes with experience and comes with reps which he’s gotten a lot of and I thought he got better as the year went on.”
Peelle didn’t want to get into specifics on techniques Otton must improve, saying if Otton wanted to share that, it’s up to him.
Joe thinks Peelle is right on. Playing nearly 100 percent of the snaps (1,064 not counting the playoffs) was too much for Otton. Still, if he was that fatigued, Otton didn’t seem to show it, at least not with catching the ball.
If Otton could improve his blocking, he’d become a damn solid tight end.
May 10th, 2024 at 7:16 am
Don’t sleep on Payne Durham. From what I understand he is a complete TE with his only short coming being elite speed.
May 10th, 2024 at 7:25 am
Blocking isn’t rocket science, I never understood why some guys struggle with it, especially at this level.
May 10th, 2024 at 7:30 am
He improved for sure in year 2, hope he is able to add to that in year 3
May 10th, 2024 at 7:55 am
It Otton improves this year like he did last year, he’ll be a great TE. We need some production from Durham.
I am disappointed we didn’t draft a TE instead of T Smith.
May 10th, 2024 at 7:58 am
People that say blocking is easy have never blocked beyond a seventh grade level
May 10th, 2024 at 8:14 am
Once you’ve watched even an aging Gronk block every game for a couple of years – No other TE can compare…
Otten can definitely improve his blocking – but for a 4th rd pick – He’s been pretty damn good overall his first 2 years… Which is why he was on the field so much last year. Big drop off putting Payne or Kief in there as the only TE I guess….
Is it just me – or did Kief seem to regress with his blocking last year? Thats the main reason he was drafted – and he got worse in year 2?
May 10th, 2024 at 8:52 am
My guess is that Bucs will keep 3 TEs this year, and Kief won’t be one of them.
May 10th, 2024 at 8:58 am
He’s not big or strong enough to be an effective TE blocker in the NFL.
He’s receiving TE…..simple as that
May 10th, 2024 at 9:02 am
BTW folks shouldn’t sleep on Devin Culp. Teammate of both Cade Otton & Jalen McMillan. Not very big for a TE (6’4″ & 237 lbs), but quite similar to Mike Evans (6’5″ & 231 lbs) in both size & in that both have played basketball. Maybe the Bucs were looking beyond TE when they drafted Culp in Rnd 7?
May 10th, 2024 at 9:40 am
I think Ko’s gonna go.
May 10th, 2024 at 10:12 am
DR – Culp is 6’3″ and only 231 lbs as measured at the combine – but he ran a 4.47 40. His 10 yard split and 35″ vertical jump were elite as well. Sounds like major mismatch potential against LBer coverage if he can catch – but he’s obviously not going to be asked to do much in-line blocking…. and he’s a rookie 7th rd pick so hard to expect much from him this year – if ever….
May 10th, 2024 at 10:26 am
Licht traded up to get Ko. Ko has had another year to bulk up in the weight room and learn blocking technique. He needs to put in the work to catch 500 balls a day from the Jugs machine, practice route running and work with any camp QB willing to work after practice to get in some extra reps.
If Ko is willing to put in the work, then he will be much improved and he will make the team.
Same with Durham and Culp. It’s a question who wants it the most and who is willing to work for it. Ko has a season More experience than Durham and two more than Culp so he has a leg up in the competition. But NFL means not for long so if he’s not willing to work for it, you guys are right, he would be the odd man out. I’m hoping co-works hard and we have a big year from the big Ginger!
May 10th, 2024 at 10:31 am
“Still, Otton is a far cry from foot-rubbing tight end Rob Gronkowski when it comes to blocking.”
Indeed and yet there is no shame in that. I don’t know that I’ve seen a TE with a better combination of BOTH skills than Gronk. He was the man!!! At least we got to enjoy his final season.
Like Joe I see another step for Otton and it just adds to the excitement at the potential for this offense.
May 10th, 2024 at 11:38 am
I guess I have a different view of Ko than others here. He’s much slower than Otton in his patterns and it seemed Baker led him too much, with a few balls just out of reach for Ko. I’m not saying he’ll make the roster over “Curly”, as I like Curly’s speed.
May 10th, 2024 at 11:42 am
Gronk needs to come back to Tampa and give these young TE’s a clinic on how to throw people out of the club.
(Reference to a Pats-Indy game where Gronk drove a defender about 15 yards out of bounds. Gronk said the guy was talkin smack so he had to be a bouncer and toss the guy outta the game. Yes, Gronk got a 15-yard penalty but said it was worth it. Not sure what Belichick said…)
Gronk was a devastating blocker. Is it any wonder our running game went severely south after he left? He was like a 6th OL on the field.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:35 pm
A good friend of mine played in the league at tight end, this is his story
Monsters
I dont doubt these boys today ain’t peak
But during my era, I had a monster every week
One week it’s Carl Banks and LT
Next it’s Tony Tolbert and Haley
Never a week off, always top billing
Here’s Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling
For a TE this junk wasn’t thrilling
These dude came thru filling
Thought I was done, no not quite
Here comes Clyde Simmons, Seth and Reggie White
Cornelius Bennett was bad dude, that came with a gift
Under that wrapping is Bruce Smith
There’s another tandem I can’t ignore
Kevin Greene and Lamar Lathon were gonna roar
There’s also Derrick Thomas…
All Monsters like I promised 😁
Week in and week out, you better put your helmet on tight
May 10th, 2024 at 5:01 pm
@pickgrin
Why do you thing Culps 35” is “elite”? Durham jumped 34.5” and outweighs him by 30 pounds.
May 11th, 2024 at 10:43 am
Please, coach Peele get hims some extra reps in the run game. He looked pathetic trying to block backers and DEs last year. I think it was more technique and a desire to hit somebody than it was fatigue. It was stated by Gronk that he needed the “want to” when he came to the NFL, so he worked hard at it. Same with Durham coach.
Go Bucs!
May 11th, 2024 at 8:40 pm
Im rooting for him. Imagine if he became our Starting TE for next 10 years. This season, we need to see a huge junior in his progression as a young player. If Cade, Bucky and the O-Line play well all season. Then this team is a contender.