Cade Otton Understands The Business Of Football
August 19th, 2025
If it were up to tight end Cade Otton, he’d be a Buccaneer for life.
But it’s not up to Cade Otton, so he explained today.
The fourth-year tight end is in a contract year. He wants to stay with the Bucs, but as he admitted today after practice at One Buc Palace, that’s not his call.
“I’ve seen guys like Mike [Evans] and Lavonte [David] and Chris [Godwin], guys I look up to a ton, be able to do that,” Otton said. “I’d love to be here long term. Obviously, I’d love if that was reciprocated, and that’s not up to me.”
Otton may become one of the very few players in the Team Glazer era who the team wants to keep but has to let walk. Joe thinks Otton is currently ranked in the Nos. 10-16 range among tight ends. Is that enough for Team Glazer to make Otton well-compensated?
What muddies the water with Otton is a bunch of other players Bucs will soon need to get paid, as well. Luke Goedeke, Logan Hall and Zyon McCollum, all from Otton’s 2022 draft class, will also be looking for a new contract in the coming months.
Then there is 2026, when Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, YaYa Diaby and SirVocea Dennis will be looking for new contracts.
And, oh yeah, Baker Mayfield will also be in a contract season next year. And Otton certainly wouldn’t be a priority ahead of Lavonte David and Mike Evans, if they want to return for 2026.
So the Bucs will have a lot of mouths to feed with not enough Team Glazer loot to spread around. Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht will make a lot of tough decisions on who to re-sign in the next year or so.
Even more painful will be the decisions Licht makes to let guys walk.
Flash poll posted at 12:20 p.m. Poll closed at 1:26 p.m.
August 19th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
Pay the man, hard worker, etc… was clutch last year early, fans forget!! Go Bucs
August 19th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Dude produces, never injured.
August 19th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
In Licht we trust. I’ll let him worry about that. He seems to know which players to keep. Let’s just focus on footbal, coming soon. Go Licht!
August 19th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
Wear gloves
August 19th, 2025 at 1:31 pm
I made this argument and I want to know if I’m just delusional about Cade Otton.
I think he is in the top 5-8 TE conversation. He produces so well in an offense with so many mouths to feed. He put on the backpack and was almost our entire offense while we had injuries. If he was on a team with less focal points on offense (yes, I know he’d be covered by better guys due to less threats elsewhere) I believe he’d be talked about similarly to a Sam Laporta/Trey McBride and other young, new wave of elite TEs.
I love Cade Otton, other than Gronk, he’s the best TE we’ve had in my life, in my opinion. I think we should pay him.
August 19th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
His catch ratio is way too low,
The Bucs need to draft a solid TE with good hands
A good blocker, he don’t have to be another Gronk
But we can do a whole lot better at the TE position
August 19th, 2025 at 1:43 pm
I like Durham better. Otton, to many drops, and fumbles. Payne was a TD machine in college. If he has a good year Cade is gone.
August 19th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
I kind of agree with Lakeland Buc, Otton could be better and should be better by now, he has been with Baker a few years now and should be more reliable catching passes. We may need to spend a high draft pick on this position next seaason.
August 19th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
i like otton but he’s replaceable….
GO BUCS!!!!
August 19th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
I’ll worry about Cade’s future LATER. Not the time to be debating that one right now. We’ll see what we have in Durham and Culp during the season and it most likely will work itself out.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
It’s not a matter of whether the Bucs want to keep Otton or not; I have no doubt they would love to keep him. However, when you excel at drafting players, as Licht has in recent years, and those players are coming up for a second contract, you can’t pay them all due to salary cap constraints. If you DO pay them all, you’ll be heading back into salary cap hell, a place where the Glazers and the front office would prefer to avoid.
I would prefer that they manage personnel in a way that ensures competitiveness every year, much like the Patriots were during the Brady years. But that requires some painful decisions to cut some good players loose who still have plenty of good years left.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Cade was invaluable last year in clutch situations, but I want to see how Durham and Culp do this year. Think that will determine what the Bucs are willing to pay for Otton next season.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:17 pm
If he wants to be a buck for life, he needs to quit dropping balls. That’s for sure.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
sounds like he knows he wont be resigning with the bucs. he is a good player and deserves to get paid what he can.
i hope he stays and has a career year in the lead up to negotiations. if he cant get what he needs from the bucs he can test the market. i hope he does it from a position of strength, that will be good for the bucs and even better for him.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:34 pm
Unrelated to this story… looking for one Fantasy Football manager to join a group of 9 long time Bucs Nation posters – need one to replace one drop out. Don’t be scurred.
Reply with your email and an invite will be sent
August 19th, 2025 at 2:36 pm
Unrelated to this story – looking for one Fantasy Football manager to join a group of 9 long time posters. We need one to replace one drop out. Don’t be scurred…
Reply with your email and an invite will be sent
August 19th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Because we saw what Otton can do in the receiving game (when everyone else is injured), that means he’s going to make a lot of money, and frankly this offense doesn’t really feature the TE, not to a level that you’re going to give him 12-16 million a year. Frankly I think the Bucs would prefer a mauler at TE that can dominate in the blocking game – and that isn’t Otton.
But we shall see, maybe they get something done, but I won’t be shocked if they play Payne more this year and get him ready to start next year, then Culp after that when they let Payne walk, etc. If Baker quits choking in the playoffs, he’s going to get paid, and you got to save money somewhere.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:53 pm
Wouldn’t want to be in Licht and Todd’s place with these hard decisions. Hoping Cade stays.
August 19th, 2025 at 2:58 pm
At least the Bucs will finally get a few comp picks finally
August 19th, 2025 at 2:59 pm
Exactly the kind of players the Bucs lose when they overpay Mayfield next year.
August 19th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Hey Rod, Baker chokes about as good as you predicted Sterling Shepard wouldn’t make the team in 2024. He not only made it that year but he made it this year also. Don’t you ever get tired of being wrong all the time?? I have never known anyone that has made more wrong comments than Rod Munch. Baker, the only middling quarterback to ever get $100 million contract and who will get $45-$50 million a year in 2026. Its comin… Ain’t that right Rod? Middling😉
August 19th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
Hmmmm… Interesting. I haven’t yet thought about even the possibility, of what we should do at the ‘trade-deadline’ this year, if by chance we get off to a horrendous start, and are sitting there at 2-6 or 3-5 (with very little hope while decimated by injuries, etc). SELL. SELL. SELL. He would definitely be trade-bait. Wonder what kind of value we could get out of him!? I’d take a 4th in a heartbeat. ESPECIALLY, if they’re uncertain on whether they’ll be willing to re-sign or not… They could make that decision real simple, by just moving him. Get what you can, when you can. That ATL game is going to be HUGE to start the season with. That first-half of the Bucs Schedule is looking awfully TOUGH. Set the tone EARLY, or it could be a loooong, disappointing season.
August 19th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
You should change joebucsfan to joebucsmaggot!!!
August 19th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Hopefully, he will have had one helluva damn strong season up to that point, if/when that ‘trade-deadline’ decision had to be made… So, that we can get max value for him.
August 19th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
Davyboy Says:
Baker, the only middling quarterback to ever get $100 million contract and who will get $45-$50 million a year in 2026.
————————————————————
Hey @Davyboy, list the NFL QB’s who had more TD’s and passing yards in the NFL last season.
Baker is averaging 33 million/year during his current contract. Here are some other averages presently:
Dak Prescott: (Dallas Cowboys): $60 million
Joe Burrow: (Cincinnati Bengals): $55 million
Josh Allen: (Buffalo Bills): $55 million
Jordan Love: (Green Bay Packers): $55 million
Trevor Lawrence: (Jacksonville Jaguars): $55 million
Tua Tagovailoa: (Miami Dolphins): $53.1 million
Jared Goff: (Detroit Lions): $53 million
Brock Purdy: (San Francisco 49ers): $53 million
Justin Herbert: (Los Angeles Chargers): $52.5 million
Lamar Jackson: (Baltimore Ravens): $52 million
==========================================
And you think Baker is overpaid at 33.3 million?
Who would you designate at the starting QB when you get rid of Baker? And how much are you going to sign him for?
August 19th, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Trade Trask for Anthony Richardson and try him at TE/emergency quarterback.
August 19th, 2025 at 6:05 pm
BucsFanSince1996, what I was saying in that quote, I was mocking Rod Munch for calling Baker, for over 2 years, a middling quarterback, at best average he said, repeating it ad nauseum. He said he was average at best. But now by a miracle of the football gods he is ranked #6. I could go on and on for 2 hours on how he has made one erroneous statement after another. But I won’t bore everyone. Someday I will, soon, but not today. ’96 I have full faith Bakie will take us to the promised land despite a few haters that see only their delusional ideas, hoping they can get as many weak minded to agree with them. They like to tear down. You have to “build” a team physically and mentally. They know nothing about any of that, they are little children on their mommas laps when it comes to football, obviously.
August 19th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Simple, sign Trey Hendrickson and let them all walk. (Sarcasm!!!!) Also, give up all of next years draft picks like Ditka.
August 19th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
Hunter Henry at #16 (in pay) makes $9 million per, is that too much for Cade?
August 19th, 2025 at 7:27 pm
If Bake thinks Otton is back to the dropsies then Otton won’t get targets. The rise of Dev Culp will also take away targets to Otton.
August 19th, 2025 at 8:42 pm
@Davyboy, ok, clearly I misunderstood your post, totally missing the sarcasm embedded within it.
I believe you’re correct that Baker can take us to the promised land.
I do believe he’s capable. What concerns me most are the injuries. If we’re healthy at the end of the season, I doubt any team will look forward to seeing them in the playoffs.
August 20th, 2025 at 11:44 am
“Larrd” I’ve been saying this for years about AR… He’s playing the wrong position. Should’ve been a TE or WR. And, should begin the move IMMEDIATELY. Could still be an emergency backup. The problem with that though, & it hit-me’ just the other day… Hell, he probably can’t even catch the ball!? Prob has no hands!?
August 20th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Davyboy Says:
August 19th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Hey Rod, Baker chokes about as good as you predicted Sterling Shepard wouldn’t make the team in 2024.
——-
Typical low IQ fake news idiot, I literally did not say that last year, in fact I said the exact opposite.
In 2024 I was literally the person saying I was excited to see what Shepard could do when people dismissed his signing. I said I thought he’d be a good 4th or 5th option at WR if he had anything left and pointed out how he was compared to Godwin earlier in their career.
With that said, I noted how he wore down later in the season and said this year, assuming McMillan and Godwin were healthy, that I’d prefer to keep someone like Palmer or Tez if they’re all three going after that last roster spot, because Shepard really slowed down at the end the season.
Do a better job at trolling you dope.
August 21st, 2025 at 3:09 am
You are either suffering from dementia or you can’t own up to your big mouth when it goes bad. You most assuredly said SS would NOT make the team, 100% and all the CHILDISH name calling won’t change that fact. Why is that so hard for you to own up to? You should be a pro at it by now. You have been wrong on so many things it is embarrassing 😳 when you use dope and low IQ you really should look in the mirror.
Hey Rod, man I’m just jivin ya, don’t get so mad, take it easy. You used to accuse us Baker Bois of loosing our cool, but dude. R E L A X….. uuummm