The Dallas Cowboys could have a chance at landing a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers playmaker.
As suggested by Brian Martin of SB Nation’s Blogging the Boys, the Cowboys should consider signing former Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate. Dallas is currently looking for a new starting tight end following the offseason departure of Dalton Schultz. While second-year tight end Jake Ferguson and second-round draft pick Luke Schoonmaker offer promise as potential starters, Martin argues that Dallas needs a true veteran presence.
“Due to the lack of proven experience though, adding a veteran presence to the mix might not be a bad idea,” writes Martin. “The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate could be on the Dallas short list. He is a solid player who has proven he is more than capable of being reliable as both a blocker in the running game and as a receiving threat in the passing game. If the youth movement at TE raises any concern at any point throughout training camp or preseason, Brate is someone the Cowboys should absolutely have on standby.”
Cameron Brate Could Be Solid Veteran Presence for Cowboys
The 32-year-old tight end spent all nine years of his career with the Buccaneers before he was released this offseason. Not only does Brate have a Super Bowl ring from his role on the 2020 squad, he once turned in a 57-reception, 660-yard, eight-touchdown season during the 2016 campaign.
While Brate is certainly not the receiving tight end that he was back then, he has played a key role in an offense for the past eight seasons. Even while playing through head injuries last season, Brate still managed to play 47% of the offensive snaps in the games he appeared in. Since 2015, Brate has played in at least 36% of the offensive snaps.
Cowboys Lacking True Veteran Tight End on Roster
The Cowboys certainly aren’t lacking in talent at the tight end position. Ferguson had a catch rate of 86.4% while seeing valuable playing time alongside Schultz — he started eight games — while Schoonmaker was a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection at Michigan while posting 35 receptions (second on the team) for 418 receiving yards (third on the team). Fellow second-year tight end Peyton Hendershot is also on the roster while Sean McKeon is considered the veteran of the group.
The problem is, Ferguson, Hendershot and Schoonmaker are all over 24 years old. Meanwhile, McKeon is 25 years old and has just six catches to his name. In other words, the group is extremely young and inexperienced.
“As things stand right now, the Cowboys are going younger and cheaper at tight end heading into 2023,” writes Martin. “Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker are expected to battle it out as the replacement to former starter Dalton Schultz, with Peyton Hendershot and possibly Sean McKeon rounding out the depth at the position.”
By comparison, Brate has 273 career catches for 2,857 yards and 33 touchdowns. Brate ranks 11th in Buccaneers franchise history in receptions and third in touchdown catches. For perspective, Brate racked up 20 touchdowns between 2016 and 2018, ranking second behind the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Travis Kelce in that span.
Considering the Cowboys already have a young blocking tight end in Hendershot, Dallas may see that McKeon is expendable and could bring in a more well-rounded threat in Brate.
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Cowboys Could Have Chance at Signing Ex-Buccaneers Playmaker