Buccaneers TE Cade Otton Earning Pro Bowl Buzz Amidst Career Year

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found a spark with tight end Cade Otton this season, and his performance is earning him some hype as a potential first-time All-Star.

Oct 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) spikes the ball after scoring a touchdown in the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Everyone had the same question when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost receiver Chris Godwin for the season and Mike Evans for a good chunk of it. How would the Buccaneers ever find a respectable offense without their dynamic receiving duo on the field?

Enter third-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.

Otton has already had a career year with highs in targets, receptions and yards and he's currently tied for his career-best touchdown total with four.

Before Godwin and Evans were lost during the team's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Otton had one touchdown catch and four games of three catches or less.

Including that Ravens game, Otton has had no fewer than five receptions in the last four games. While it is unfortunate it took a massive loss for the Bucs to realize what they had in the young tight end, it is a good thing they found a way to unlock his potential that has always been lurking beneath the surface.

Not only is it earning the tight end career numbers, it is earning him some Pro Bowl buzz as well.

"Since Week 7, his 20.8 receiving EPA is tops among tight ends, His 39 targets are second-most among TEs (Travis Kelce has 45), and his 293 yards are the most among the position," NFL.com's Kevin Patra wrote in his list of Pro Bowl sleepers for the 2024 season. "Those figures are tied for fifth and eighth overall among all players over that span. The Bucs have a tough road ahead to get back into the postseason, but if they can, Otton will be a key reason for the late-season surge."

With the Buccaneers returning from their bye week to face the New York Giants this weekend their football fortunes may be turning for the better.

Despite Tampa Bay riding a four-game losing streak into the bye week, the NFC South Division-leading Atlanta Falcons have not been able to grab a firm grip on their lead and are losers of back-to-back contests themselves.

With the Falcons on a bye this week, a Bucs win over the Giants this weekend brings their record to 5-6, just one game back in the division with six left to play.

The potential that the Buccaneers may get Evans back from his hamstring injury this weekend as well only bolsters the team's outlook as things could begin to shift dramatically the closer we get to December football — still the most important stretch of any NFL season.

Now, when Evans returns, Tampa Bay will have a second Pro Bowl caliber weapon at its disposal to try and make up ground on the suddenly stumbling Falcons.

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