New Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Cohen was asked this week if there were any players in Tampa Bay’s offense that surprised him after watching game film from last year.
To hear Cohen’s name at tight end. Cade Otton As for the surprise player…well, I was surprised to some extent.
“Cade Otton is the kind of player that when you look at his body of work in such a short period of time in the NFL, you take it for granted that he played 98 percent of the snaps last year,” Cohen said. . “That’s something we have to take off him a little bit, but in this weather, in this league, there’s going to be a lot more recognition for a guy who’s playing 98 percent of the snaps in a position that’s essentially two games.
“You’re playing wideout, you’re playing O-line in a lot of ways. So you got quite a bit of recognition. [for him] – and he’s a great guy. I had to meet him and be around him. He seems like the type you would want his son to be. Cade is definitely one of those players. ”
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Otton, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2022, took over as the team’s starting tight end last season when Cam Blart retired, scoring four points and doubling his touchdowns with 47. He caught passes for 455 yards (9.7 yards average). This was also a career high. . Otton has been an under-the-radar offensive weapon, but thanks to his postseason breakthrough, he may not be able to sneak up on opponents in 2024 like he did in his first two seasons.
The 6-foot-5, 247-pound tight end caught eight passes for 89 yards (11.1 average), both in Tampa Bay’s 32-9 win over Philadelphia in the wild-card playoffs. He set a career high. The following week against Detroit, Otton had five catches for 65 yards (13 yards average) and one touchdown in a 31-23 loss in the divisional playoff round.
Cade Otton looks to gain significant postseason experience
Was Cade Otton’s big postseason the result of him being overlooked in an offense with more explosive and dangerous weapons? Or is Otton emerging as one of the weapons in Tampa Bay’s passing game and his performance in the playoffs a sign of things to come in 2024? That remains to be seen, but Otton is encouraged by what happened in January.
“It was fun to end the year with some pieces like this,” Otton said. “I’m excited about the future and what we can build as a team. It’s going to be fun. I’m really looking forward to next year.”
Otton was the fifth-most targeted member of the Buccaneer offense last year, with 67 targets in the passing game. This puts him one behind rookie wide receiver Trey Palmer (68) and three behind running back Rathard White (70). Of course, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin led the way with 136 and his 130 targets respectively.
Bucs 2023 postseason production now available
TE Cade Otton: 13 receptions, 154 yards, 1 TD
WR Chris Godwin: 13 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD
WR Mike Evans: 11 catches, 195 yards, 1 TD
RB Rathard White: 5 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD
WR Trey Palmer: 4 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD
WR David Moore: 4 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo courtesy of USA Today
But in the postseason, Otton caught more passes than Evans and gained more yards than Godwin. Otton and Evans were both the most targeted backs in the playoffs, with Baker Mayfield throwing in 19 passes.
“Obviously, Cade is a very stable guy,” Mayfield said. “He’s not flashy. He’s just who he is. He’s really quiet. He just kind of lurks in the background. I don’t think the team had much of a game plan for him last year. I think. Obviously, you’re talking about Mike and Chris and those guys, but Cade is so into it. But he’s such a consistent, incredible guy who does everything right. And, like you said, the amount of snaps he played. He’s a warrior.”
Will the Bucs look to upgrade at tight end?
Cade Otton showed some improvement from his rookie year, catching 42 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns, but his average yards per catch only improved slightly from 9.3 to 9.7. The number of TDs has doubled. Otton doesn’t have the quickest feet, but he has developed into a great red zone weapon for Baker Mayfield. In particular, in Week 9, he caught a career-high two touchdowns and had six catches for 70 yards in a 39-37 loss at Houston. .
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo courtesy of USA Today
And he showed he has enough speed to make some big plays. Otton had seven catches of 20 yards or more last year, including a 20-yard catch in his 18-year-old week at Carolina, a 24-yard reception in a playoff game against Philadelphia and the following week against Detroit. Includes a 27-yard catch.
Late-season production like this, along with support from new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen, could change some minds in the Bucs’ war room come draft day. Rather than finding an upgrade at tight end, the Bucs may use their draft picks to find a starter elsewhere, shore up other positions, and hope Otton continues to develop as a player.
“He made some big plays for us,” Bucks general manager Jason Richt said of Otto at the NFL Scouting Combine. “[He has] He was a very stable player. You know, sometimes he doesn’t look like the flashiest player, but he’s very consistent and has the ability to be an all-down player, but he also needs complements.we are excited about pane [Durham]. Let’s see how Payne does this year. ”
Durham, last year’s fifth-round pick, had just five catches for 58 yards as a rookie, but added 18 yards receiving in the playoffs against the Eagles. Durham, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 255 pounds, totaled 126 catches for 1,275 yards (10.1 average) during his time at Purdue, but also scored a whopping 21 touchdowns in four seasons, including That included eight times as a senior. Tampa Bay hopes he can move up the depth chart to solidify the No. 2 tight end spot and perhaps push Otton into the starting job.
and An additional 11 (three sets of receivers) are expected to be used under Cohen. The Bucs could ignore the tight end position in this year’s draft and select Otto, Durham, and Ko Kieft again this year. As a result, Tampa Bay could potentially keep only six wide receivers and three tight ends on the roster.
Cade Otton needs to be even stronger on offense
After showing improvement as a receiver last year, Cade Otton must make further progress as a run blocker this year. Otton took a step back in that department in 2023, likely as a result of playing a high volume of snaps that drained him in games. Coach Cohen intends to cut Otton’s snaps in 2024 in hopes of producing better results, but Payne Durham, or perhaps someone else, will fill in when Otton is out of games. You need to prove your ability.
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
According to Pro Football Focus, Otton regressed as a run blocker, earning a grade of .50 last year after posting a grade of 58.8 as a rookie. After posting a 78.3 grade as a rookie, he fared even worse as a pass protector with a 44.9 PFF grade. Otton plans to hit the weight room this offseason to get stronger at the point of attack at the line of scrimmage.
“Being a tight end means you have to do it all,” Otton said. “I’m not going to focus on any particular aspect of my game, but I’m definitely going to work on the fundamentals of run blocking, footwork, getting bigger and all that goes with that. Also, catching the ball, I also want to work on running great routes consistently. That’s definitely going to be a big project this offseason.”
Otton earned Mayfield’s trust in the passing game last year. And Mayfield believes Otton has proven himself to the point that he can do even more for the team in 2024.
“We asked him to do a lot in terms of the run game and everything else, and he didn’t miss a lot,” Mayfield said. “We’re looking forward to helping him on some fronts and really letting him do some of the things he’s really, really good at. Like I said, he’s been consistent. So , he can continue to learn and different coaches can help him grow on that front. We’re looking forward to that.”
