As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shift their focus to the offseason, there are question marks at every position on the roster. In this series, we’ll look at each position grouping and see what the Bucs have on the roster who is an impending free agent, and the outlook for the 2024 season.
On The Roster
Cade Otton
Otton took on a larger role this season with the department of Cam Brate and didn’t disappoint. He played in every game and reeled in 47 receptions for 455 yards and four touchdowns. We went wire to wire in multiple games not missing a snap on offense. While he struggled blocking early on, he showed vast improvement as the season went on. He’ll never be among the top tight ends in the league but he is a serviceable starting tight end for the Bucs.
Payne Durham
Durham got off to a slow start and was inactive for the season's first four games. He was much better in pass blocking than run blocking but made some spectacular grabs down the stretch and started two games for the Bucs during his rookie season.
Ko Kieft
Kieft once again served as the team’s primary blocking tight end. Not known for his receiving skills he finished the season with just one receptions for two yards, though it happened to be for a touchdown. He played 68% of the special teams snaps finishing with seven tackles.
David Wells
Named the backup tight end out of camp, Wells never found his footing and was moved to the practice squad after Week 10. He finished the year with two receptions for -10 yards and a fumble. He signed a futures contract in January.
Tanner Taula
Taula spent the year on the practice squad and drew great reviews from team members lauding him for his contributions on the practice squad. He signed a futures contract in January.
Impending Free Agents
The Bucs don’t have any free agents at the position after signing Wells and Taula to future deals in January.
2024 Outlook
Otton returns as the starter in 2024 but the Bucs will surely add to the position group. The Buccaneers had the youngest tight end room in the league in 2023. The team will likely add a veteran to the room for the upcoming season. The Bucs could use a more proficient blocker or a move tight end to add to the offense.
One name to watch could be former Rams tight end Gerald Everett who had overlapped with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen on the Rams from 2018-2020.
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