Todd Bowles has surprising pick for Buccaneers' 'most underrated' offensive player

Quarterback Baker Mayfield understandably received deserved praise amid the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' surprising 3-1 start to the season, but head coach Todd Bowles recently gave tight end Cade Otton a unique shoutout. 

"Cade is probably the most underrated player on offense," Bowles said about Otton during an appearance on the Buccaneers Radio Network, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. "He blocks big defensive ends. He blocks linebackers. He does all the dirty work...has great hands, great receiving skills." 

Otton originally joined the Buccaneers as a 2022 fourth-round draft pick and finished his first NFL regular season with 42 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns that he accumulated across 16 games playing alongside future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Mayfield, meanwhile, signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers this past March and routinely looked for Otton over the club's first four contests of the ongoing campaign. 

ESPN stats show that Otton entered Tampa Bay's Week 5 bye third on the team with 15 targets and 89 receiving yards, and he's fourth with 12 receptions. Otton notched his first touchdown catch of the season during the club's 26-9 win at the division-rival New Orleans Saints on Oct. 1. 

"It goes unnoticed when he gets the four- or six-yard catches," Bowles added about Otton. "But he makes a play all the time. He’s reliable. You know where he’s going to be. He’s tough. He’s very smart. He’s very instinctive. He has a great feel for the game and he’s a great outlet for Baker." 

The FantasyPros website mentioned Monday that the Detroit Lions have somewhat struggled to deal with tight ends this season. 4-1 Detroit faces the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium this coming Sunday afternoon, so Otton could be in for a decent outing following Tampa Bay's extended break. 

As of Tuesday evening, OddsChecker listed the Lions as three-point favorites for that matchup.