Torn on Cade Otton.

Looking at receiving stats from the Bucs last year, two surprising things stood out.

We all know that Emeka Egbuka fell off the map after the bye, just like Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield did. Was that a cause and effect with Egbuka? It’s unclear.

Despite having an awful second half of the season, Egbuka still led the Bucs in catches and receiving. That sort of shows how dominant he was before the bye.

What happened then after the bye? That’s murky. How much of Mayfield’s poor second half of the season affected Egbuka? Joe’s sure there was a cause and effect, but how much is unclear.

Then there was Cade Otton. He was second on the team in catches and receiving yards. And Otton really didn’t have a major, positive impact (he sure had a negative impact) in the passing game until the last game of the season when he scored on an 18-yard catch.

That was Otton’s lone touchdown catch of the season. And finally he targeted on a long pass. That had been missing from the Bucs’ offense all season. That lone play made Joe think maybe there was a future for Otton with the Bucs.

Otton was mostly used in the run game when the Bucs, seemingly every time Otton was in motion, ran behind him. And it’s not like Otton is the second coming of Jimmie Giles who was a crushing blocker.

Joe thought Otton was misused all year. Maybe former Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard lost trust in Otton because Otton had two ghastly turnovers, one against the Lions and another against the Rams where he was outmuscled for the ball.

If used right, Otton could be a weapon like he showed against the Stinking Panthers in Week 18.

In 2024, Otton carried the Bucs’ passing game when both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were hurt. So he has it in him to be a clutch target.

Joe would not be shocked if the Bucs drafted a tight end high in the draft. If Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is not on the board when the Bucs draft at No. 15, Joe would love to see the Bucs draft Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

And personally, Joe thinks Baylor tight end and Tampa native Michael Trigg is way underrated. He may not be much for blocking but he can sure stretch the field.

Having a tight end stretch the field down the seam or down the sideline was sorely missing in the Bucs’ offense last season.

We will find out next month how valuable the Bucs think Otton is if they re-sign him. Can he be a guy who can stretch the field? He proved against Carolina he can be that guy. Will new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson use him that way? Does Robinson even want Otton? That’s another story.