The Tampa Bay Buccaneers paid big money to keep starting tight end Cade Otton in the fold in March with a 3-year, $30 million contract.
While Otton is a very good starter, he’s never been elite, and the Buccaneers haven’t lifted a finger to improve the position or its depth in recent years.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes it’s time for the Buccaneers to start trimming some of that fat, with veteran backup Payne Durham landing at the top of his list of players to cut before the regular season.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed tight end Cade Otton to a three-year, $30 million extension, which solidifies his spot atop the depth chart,” Moton wrote on August 14. “The team could shake up the pecking order behind him. Payne Durham hasn’t contributed much to the passing game, but he’s a solid pass-blocker who has been on the field for at least 31 percent of the snaps in the last two seasons. The Buccaneers have stocked up on young tight ends over the past few years. They selected Devin Culp in the seventh round of the 2024 draft and added Bauer Sharp in the sixth round of this year’s draft. Fifth-year pro Ko Kieft is one of the team’s top special teamers. If Culp and Bauer impress the coaching staff in the preseason, Durham could be expendable.”
Payne Durham Carved Out Starring Role in Big Ten
Durham, 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, carved out a starring role at Purdue, where he had 101 receptions for 1,027 yards and 14 touchdowns over his last 2 seasons and earned All-Big Ten honors in 2022.
Durham ran a more-than-acceptable 4.87-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and was a 5th-round pick (No. 171 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, which outpaced most draft projections.
“Durham possesses the measurables of a Y tight end, with the ability to compete as a blocker both in-line and on the move,” NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation, where he predicted Durham as a 7th-round pick. “He still needs to add play strength as a run blocker, though. Durham lacks the speed to threaten the seam and the functional agility to beat coverage underneath. He’s been fairly involved in the Purdue passing game and has a chance to make a team as a run-blocking tight end with the potential to make tough catches.”
While Payne hasn’t put up big numbers in his 1st 3 seasons, the Buccaneers are paying him a relative pittance — a 4-year, $4.08 million contract — and he’s been durable. He’s only missed 5 games in 3 years and just 1 game over the last 2 seasons.
Buccaneers Used Day 3 Pick on Tight End
The Buccaneers showed they are willing to tinker with the position this offseason — they used their 6th-round pick (No. 185 overall) on LSU tight end Bauer Sharp.
Sharp, 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds, played 5 seasons of college football for 3 different schools, starting at Southeastern Louisiana before transferring to Oklahoma and finishing his career at LSU in 2025.
“After trading picks 195 and 229 to the Raiders, the Bucs used pick No. 185 on a 6-foot-5, 249-pound target who actually operated as a Wildcat quarterback and inline tight end at Southeastern Louisiana before transferring to Oklahoma and then LSU,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote in April. “He has 4.63 speed, which doesn’t wow you, but he’s high energy and operates well underneath. He’s an aggressive blocker but he has struggled with penalties — his 10 penalties were tied for the most among FBS tight ends since 2024. He also had some issues with drops — 7.6% in his two seasons as an FBS player — but cleaned that up significantly in 2025.”
Buccaneers Urged to Cut ‘Expendable’ Former Draft Pick