The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are down a couple of tight ends for mandatory minicamp, with starter Cade Otton and Devin Culp on the sideline.
They’re bringing in 1 very big tight end to replace those 2 for the time being in 6-foot-7, 267-pound former Auburn tight end Brandon Frazier.
“With short-term injuries limiting depth in minicamp, Bucs have former Auburn tight end Brandon Frazier here as a tryout player,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “He’s 6-7, 267 pounds, had 25 catches and two TDs in college.”
Otton and Culp weren’t the only players not on the field at minicamp.
“Bucs players present but not practicing at minicamp today: TEs Cade Otton and Devin Culp, CBs Benjamin Morrison and Chase Lucas, S J.J. Roberts and Miles Killebrew, DT Haggai Ndubuisi,” Auman wrote. “LB Christian Rozeboom is not here.”
Frazier originally signed with the Atlanta Falcons after going undrafted.
“Frazier is a people-mover who views receiving as a secondary responsibility,” Mike Kashuba of FootballGuys.com wrote in his pre-draft evaluation of Frazier. “He ran a route less than half as often as he blocked, and he looks like an extra offensive lineman running routes. He’s an enormous target with a fantastic catch radius, but his calling card is delivering a powerful blow in the run game and driving his feet through the whistle.”
Brandon Frazier Played 6 Seasons at Auburn
Frazier’s 55 games might seem like a lot on the surface — until you realize he played 6 seasons. To his credit, even though he was used mainly as a blocker, he put together his best pass-catching season in his final season with 13 receptions for 97 yards in 2025.
“The Falcons already have a blocking specialist at the tight end position in Charlie Woerner,” Falcons Wire’s Matt Urben wrote on May 5. “While fans may not hear his name called often, Woerner has been helping open up holes for Bijan Robinson and the ground game for the last two seasons. Frazier could potentially replace Woerner on the roster if he has a productive camp. Whether it’s this season or sometime in the future, Frazier has the size and blocking ability to eventually carve out a role in this league.”
As far as injuries, Frazier underwent season-ending foot surgery in 2024 after playing 5 games.
Bucs Made $30 Million Investment in Cade Otton
The Buccaneers kicked off free agency on March 9 by ending the years-long debate over whether they would bring back Otton or try to level up at tight end, signing him to a 3-year, $30 million contract instead of letting him test the waters in free agency.
“BREAKING: The Bucs are re-signing TE Cade Otton, per sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “Otton has put up 207 receptions, 2,018 yards and 11 TDs in four years with Tampa Bay. A very underrated TE.”
Otton was a 4th-round pick (No. 104 overall) out of the University of Washington in the 2022 NFL draft and played out the entirety of his 4-year, $4.49 million rookie contract.
Buccaneers Bring 6-foot-7, 267-Pound TE in for Minicamp