Tight end depth multiplied overnight for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers amid Rob Gronkowski doubling down on his retirement.
The Bucs cleared 6-foot-5 rookie tight end Cade Otton on Thursday, July 21, to compete in training camp according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. That news came less than 24 hours after the Bucs agreed to sign free agent tight end Kyle Rudolph.
Otton didn’t practice all offseason due to an ankle injury after the Bucs drafted him in April. Gronkowski’s future in doubt at the time led the Bucs to pick Otton, a talented pass-catcher who caught 91 passes for 1,026 yards and nine touchdowns in his collegiate career at Washington.
“Right away it was difficult this being my first major injury,” Otton said about the injury via Buccaneers.com. “No matter what obstacle it is you always have a choice. You can either quit or go to work and so just from the very beginning I’ve decided I’m just gonna work as hard as I can to get back on the field, to contribute to the team as much as I could.”
“I want to help the TEs as much as I can, help the offense as much as I can and just bring energy to the whole team,” Otton added. “So just a mindset thing, some days are harder than others but just really gotta be intentional about what you’re doing and what the goal is and in here it’s to win a Super Bowl.”
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady will get his first look at Otton on the field when the quarterbacks and rookies arrive for training camp on Saturday, July 23.
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Bucs Linebacker Familiar With Otton
Otton formerly played with Bucs linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka at Washington from 2017 to 2020. Tryon-Shoyinka made his mark as a rookie with the Bucs last season as he posted 29 tackles, four sacks, and three pass deflections.
“Joe is a great friend of mine, and we’ve had a lot of great battles in practice,” Otton said via Buccaneers.com. “And he’s obviously a great player — tough, physical, athletic — and I think he’d say we had a lot of great battles, and that I’m tough and that I have good technique and try to get after it a lot, too. And so, I’m really looking forward to getting with him again and having more battles, and then getting to be on the same team again is super awesome.”
Otton’s Niece Steals the Show [Watch]
Otton received his call from the Bucs on the third day of the draft, going in the fourth round with the 106th pick.
He shared a video of taking the call on social media, which went viral thanks to his niece “stealing the show” as she walked up to the camera.
So thankful to the @Buccaneers for this life changing call. I can already tell that the Bucs have the best fans in football. Thanks for the warm welcome! Lets get to work! #GoBucs
(Shoutout to my niece for stealing the show 😂)
Otton is a big name in his home state of Washington. His grandfather, Sid, posted the all-time winningest high school football coaching record in the state. His father, Tim, coaches high school football.
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Buccaneers Make Decision on Injured Tight End: Report