Record-Setter Or A Salary Dump?
January 17th, 2020
Important offseason.
Cam Brate has come a long way.
Back in 2015, Brate was actually cut from the Bucs’ practice squad. The Bucs brought the Harvard economics major back later when Austin Seferian-Jackwagon got injured. Man, the difference between those two guys. One was a second-round slug and the other, a free agent steal.
Brate quickly became a favorite target of the Bucs’ young star quarterback, Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston. The two had such a groove, Jameis nearly made Brate a Pro Bowler himself.
Before the 2018 season, Brate signed a six-year, $40.8 million deal. And unfortunately, that may be his doom with the Bucs.
Last year it was clear the Bucs de-emphasized their tight ends. So with so many important free agents to sign this offseason, Brate’s nice contract now looks like a target, unless of course he reworks it.
Interesting to Joe is Brate seems to be at the crossroads of his Bucs days. He could be released. Or, if Brate stays and he gets one game with multiple touchdowns, Brate will tie the great Jimmie Giles for having the most multiple-touchdown games by a Bucs tight end (four).
In some circles, Giles is whispered as a potential Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate. There is no question Giles was one of the best tight ends of his day. So how wild is this for Brate? He just as easily could be an ex-Bucs tight end in 2020, or share a tight end record for touchdown passes caught for the Bucs.
No matter how you slice it, 2020 will be an important year in the career of a guy who likely thought he’d be working for a hedge fund on Wall Street by now, rather than tying an NFL team record.
January 17th, 2020 at 12:27 am
Jimmy Giles? Hall of Fame? No way Joe.
January 17th, 2020 at 1:02 am
Would look to trade Brate before 22MAR2020 when $4M of his 2020 salary becomes fully guaranteed…His history of production & remaining contract #’s are lower end market value (by today’s FA market values) …But it’s too much of a luxury at this point for the Bucs….OJ Howard & Tanner Hudson can hold down the fort for less than Brate alone; and Brate’s CAP savings could be better served spent on RT, RB or WR upgrades.
January 17th, 2020 at 1:18 am
There’s been 8 tight ends inducted into the Hall of Fame. If we’re going on stats alone, Jimmie Giles had more receptions than 2 of the 8 (John Mackey and Charlie Sanders), more yardage than 1 (Sanders), higher yards per catch than 6 of the 8 (Mike Ditka, Sanders, Dave Casper, Ozzie Newsome, Kellen Winslow, and Shannon Sharpe), and more TD catches than 3 (Mackey, Jackie Smith, and Sanders). His stats were comparable, and he was a fine blocker, but probably doesn’t make it into the HOF because he played on bad teams.
January 17th, 2020 at 1:22 am
Don’t think so either but Ira gets phone calls.
He may have been the best blocking tight end Joe has ever seen. Was like a Pro Bowl guard blowing people up.
January 17th, 2020 at 1:36 am
Jimmy Giles was badass!
But, I don’t think he’s HOF worthy….. damn close though.
January 17th, 2020 at 2:00 am
Or better yet, our coach utilizes the talent on this roster, including tight ends.
How many times have we read about coaches not scheming to their talent? That’s why we ran Mike Smith out, right?
Brate and Howard could be two top ten tight ends, coupled with two top ten wide receivers. Draft a decent running back and this team is playing in January.
On the other hand, cut Brate so he can go win a Super Bowl with Brady. He deserves to play for a coach that uses the players he has.
January 17th, 2020 at 3:14 am
Cam will be gone shortly, probably released as opposed to traded, because the Bucs will NEED the $6 mil he’s due to be paid in 2020. He turned out to be a very expensive ‘Weapon for Winston’ in 2019 when his $7 mil salary is measured against 4 TDs, 36 catches & 311 yards in 2019.
Reality IMO is that his 6-year, $40.8 mil deal was a bad deal for the Bucs. We grossly overpaid for his talent, especially considering that we’d already drafted OJ AND that Cam doesn’t really block all that well. Guess that’s what happens when a receiver shows some ‘chemistry’ with Mr. Entertainment and your GM just keeps overpaying receivers & OLinemen to shore up his #1 draft selection. BA will stop the bleeding very shortly as his DEFENSE will receive a much bigger share of the salary Cap.
January 17th, 2020 at 3:15 am
brate with brady will have 70 catches, 875 yards, and 10 tds
January 17th, 2020 at 3:18 am
Hmmm, what triggered that one going to the dungeon Joe? ‘Weapons for Winston’? Or maybe ‘Mr Entertainment’? Heaven forbid we should be critical of ‘America’s QB’.
January 17th, 2020 at 3:24 am
Adam … The Pats will finally move on from Brady this year. He was very mortal in 2019 and at 43 years old will see that Father Time has passed him by. The big question in my mind is ‘Will Bill Belicheck also call it quits as the Patriots coach’? He will be 68 in April and might decide to pass the HC torch & focus strictly on the GM part of his job.
January 17th, 2020 at 4:42 am
Joe in Michigan
Thank you for the comparative stats. If Jimmy G. Played for a big market team or if the Bucs beat the Rams in the ‘79 NFC championship game he probably would make it in the HOF.
January 17th, 2020 at 6:19 am
The fact that both our tightends had a great timing with Jameis but then are not used shoes that Mr coach my scheme Arians isn’t as smart as he looks. To refuse to you very viable receiving options that are miss matches gir many defenses that can help your qb reduce the ints because you don’t emphasize them puts him in the same category as Lovie Smith. Almost ever offense use tight ends but us. If we’re not going to use them to catch passes then why have them at all??? Why not put 6 or 7 linemen instead???? Waste of talent! They go to any other team watch them blow up!
January 17th, 2020 at 6:23 am
“De-emphasized”? How about the fact that neither Brate nor Howard played well?! Maybe they’re not getting thrown to perhaps because of a rising star in Godwin and a future HOFer in Evans. Ever think of that? It is the qb’s decision whether to throw to them on the field, yes?
Neither TE played anywhere near expectations, and frankly, Howard is starting to look like a JAG at this point.
January 17th, 2020 at 6:25 am
Well said Joe in Michigan!! I grew up in same neighborhood as Jimmy Giles and we would see him after games. What a NICE GUY!!
A lot of folks don’t know he was also drafted in pro baseball and was a heck of a player.. as you mentioned playing on those bad Buc teams will do him in. I remember when he caught a TD from Montana in pro bowl we thought that was sooooo cooool…
January 17th, 2020 at 6:37 am
Bucs could have gotten a good haul in trade from the Pats when they were interested in OJ , and they probably should have taken it considering BA’s misuse of his considerable talents.
January 17th, 2020 at 6:45 am
He doesn’t block well, hands are becoming suspect, and zero juice. I’d cut him and use the money towards keeping Suh.
January 17th, 2020 at 7:56 am
Please don’t go to work for a hedge fund, Cam. You don’t need to sell your soul like that. Invest what you’ve made, and run a small family business in a small town.
January 17th, 2020 at 8:46 am
I still don’t understand not developing a scheme to utilize Brate and Howard. Makes no sense at all. Sure it’s nice taking the top off with Evans and Godwin but what’s really nice is keeping a defense on their heels and when you have Evans, Godwin, Perriman, Howard, and Brate how do you cover all of them??! You don’t have to target them every down but they should be a go to in short yardage situations for sure. I actually think Brate and Howard are shocked when they see them all coming their way. I mean it’s like if the 49ers had Evans and Godwin do you think Kittle would stop getting the ball? I don’t think so.
January 17th, 2020 at 9:10 am
NICE! That was very interesting to read Joe from Michigan. I don’t believe I’ll ever see Jimmy Giles ever get in the HOF, not because of his stats, but because of his SH!TY owner who used the Bucs as his income ONLY! He had ZERO PRIDE IN WINNING! Winning cost more money then losing. The TV money was the same & ticket sales weren’t worth enough to pay for good players to stay. He also loved trading away top picks, because what he traded them for was ALWAYS CHEAPER then a rookie and older players were easier to dump!!! Had Jimmy Giles stayed on the Houston Oilers with those stats maybe he’d have a chance, but as a Orange wearing Buccaneer of the 70’s & 80’s, NOPE.
January 17th, 2020 at 9:45 am
Over paid Brate the same way they overpaid lazy ass D Smith.
January 17th, 2020 at 10:02 am
Brate, and Howard were here because Dirk uses his TE’s a great deal. Even with Atl’s great receivers, Hooper was a big part of their offense. Howard was drafted for Dirk, not Bruce who never would’ve made that choice. Why keep two highly paid TE’s who won’t be used much? This is why Licht sucks.
January 17th, 2020 at 10:03 am
I don’t think people understand NFL salaries. Brate makes a little over $6 mil next season… or 3% of next season’s salary cap. That’s not a lot of money to pay for a pretty good player.
January 17th, 2020 at 10:05 am
Hodad Says:
January 17th, 2020 at 10:02 am
Brate, and Howard were here because Dirk uses his TE’s a great deal. Even with Atl’s great receivers, Hooper was a big part of their offense. Howard was drafted for Dirk, not Bruce who never would’ve made that choice. Why keep two highly paid TE’s who won’t be used much? This is why Licht sucks
——————-
Wait, Licht sucks because he found two quality players that the previous coach wanted and utilized? That makes no sense. BTW, Howard isn’t making very much by starting TE standards.
January 17th, 2020 at 10:52 am
Brate was an important cog for Jameis until Arians told him to just keep throwing it. To Jameis that meant that the check down receiver was Godwin on a slant.
Not Brate’s fault the ball didn’t get thrown to him. He can be clutch, if he gets more than four balls thrown his way during a season.
To me, he a bigger upside than OJ. He knows how to get separation and usually has better hands. I have seen a few blocks of his that looked better than OJ, but neither are great blockers. That is what Auclair is for.
January 17th, 2020 at 12:15 pm
brate is easily replaced overpaid and overrated…. giles was a beast but only two legit bucs hall of famers are sapp and selmon….
January 17th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
“Was like a Pro Bowl guard blowing people up.”
That’s what I’m talking about. No I don’t expect another Jimmy Giles who can also catch it…OJ was the great hope but he’s not Giles in either category..catching or blocking.
So if BA isn’t going to use the TE’s…and as has been suggested Brate is gone because of the salary cap…Auclair is competent and can block and we draft another guy who is “like a Pro Bowl guard blowing people up.”
Vita Vea caught a TD this year and it wasn’t a fluke. Lots of big guys also have decent hands…their major weakness…can’t get open against LB’s…unless the scheme opens them up. That’s ok let’s draft a CRUSHING BLOCKER for TE.
January 17th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Whoever says JG wasn’t a great Tight End and is possibly an HOF’er never watched him live and had some monster games. Vs. Dolphins I believe was one. Nowadays the HOF is so diluted. Brian Dawkins, no way, Michael Strahan no way. Edergin James no way… Jimmy Johnson with only 80 wins. C’mon.
January 17th, 2020 at 2:09 pm
T MAX
– so you are saying that D Brooks is not a legit HOF…
DUDE WTF are you, I Mean it’s obvious the NFL community disagrees as he was named to ALL 100 yr team.
& you know why…. probably not bc you have already shown us your intelligence.. which is very little…
It’s bc he transformed the way the WIL position was played & the type of player who play it….
When he slipped to the Bucs it’s bc he was a tweener & they thought he should be a safety
He helped B Urlacher for sure bc he paved the way for that type of player to be drafted at LB…
YOUR TAKES ARE STUPID AT BEST
January 17th, 2020 at 2:57 pm
I’ve said it before. If the tight ends are not going to be used much as a receivers, unload either OJ or Brate. Because of his hit against the CAP, Brate is the logical choice. I’d hate to see him leave, but it’s just business.
January 17th, 2020 at 10:24 pm
Receiving TDs by Tight End Leaders, Last 5 Seasons:
1. Travis Kelce (32)
2. Kyle Rudolph (30)
3. Zach Ertz (28)
4. Cameron Brate (27)
5. Eric Ebron (26)
Would be more if he was used the past year.
I’m sure other teams will want him.
January 18th, 2020 at 9:48 am
Dang, I forgot about Tony Gonzalez making the Hall of Fame, must’ve been looking at a pre 2019 HOF list. That’s 9 TE’s in the HOF.