Getty Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate
The Dallas Cowboys committed to their young tight end group, but there have been some noticeable issues three weeks into the season. After the team’s first loss and another handful of drops, signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate could address that problem.
There were multiple contested drops in the 28-16 Week 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, continuing issues that Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Luke Schoonmaker have had in the first two weeks. Those were masked by wins, but Dallas’ inefficiency with their TEs and red zone struggles glared against Arizona.
In terms of a new tight end addition, there aren’t a lot of high-powered options but there are proven veterans like Brate. The former Buccaneers TE spent nine years with the NFC South team, winning a Super Bowl in the process.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has completed 11 of his 21 targets to the tight end group, totaling just 70 yards and a touchdown in the process. Ferguson has been the lead target, but he’s also leading the team in drops.
Brate is still without a team after parting ways with Tampa Bay this past offseason, and adding a much-need injection of experience and reliability to the position. He won’t necessarily make the offense more dynamic, but he would be a consistent pair of hands and could pass on some of his knowledge to the young group.
Brate Builds Career with Buccaneers
Brate is a typical “blue collar” tight end, with the former Harvard standout being a consistent blocker as well as an effective route-runner. That being said, his numbers have never jumped off the page in terms of receiving totals.
According to Pro Football Reference, he only two seasons that Brate eclipsed the 500-yard mark was back in 2016 and 2017, when he totaled 660 and 591 receiving yards respectively. Over those two seasons, he pulled in 14 touchdowns.
This is where Brate can help the most. None of the Cowboys WRs feature towering frames that allow them to win contested catches, while the tight ends are struggling to win those battles as well. Brate has totaled four or more touchdowns in five different seasons, and the 32-year-old has 33 career touchdowns.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Speaks on Loss
The Dallas offense will have to regroup after a disappointing performance against Arizona, and that’s clear in Prescott’s post-game comments. The veteran QB threw for 249 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Prescott was asked by Star-Telegram reporter Clarence Hill Jr. about if the loss was a “wake-up call,” and he was bristled to say the least.
“Y’all put us on top of the world. We know who we are, and in that same sense I’m sure the media got what they wanted,” Prescott said. “There has only been one undefeated team in this league. Ever. Yeah it sucks, it’s humbling but to say it’s a wake up call we knew we had a lot of adversity and we just didn’t get it done. I think it goes back to myself, the offense and the red zone. We get better right there, we win this game. We have to fix that area. Period.”
Dallas will have a chance to rebound when they host the New England Patriots on October 1.