R. L. P : A Key Player Of The Team Have Signed Before In Less Than Two Weeks…
Tight end is the Bucs’ worst offensive position. Joe now believes that Cade Otton, the starting tight end, showed some significant progress last season, particularly at the conclusion of the regular season and throughout the postseason.
Stated differently, Joe thinks Otton has established himself as a reliable starting tight end in the league.
Joe noted and recorded Otton’s numerous drops early in the season, a pattern that continued throughout the regular season. Otton had a lot of drops earlier in the season. The colder it got, the better Otton became.
Otton’s blocking was one area that did not improve, and Joe does not anticipate it to do so much, if at all. The Bucs have missed his blocking ability ever since foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski retired. He is just not that good of a blocker.
Joe really admires Aaron Schatz, the creator of DVOA and the founder of Football Outsiders (may he rest in peace). Schatz, typing for BSPN, made the decision to check out a free agent who would suit both teams well. Furthermore, Schatz makes a wise assessment in saying that Houston tight end Dalton Schultz would be a valuable addition to the Bucs.
Cade Otton, a second-year tight end for the Bucs, produced 455 yards and four touchdowns, but Schultz would increase his capabilities at the position. He had a comparable receiving DVOA to Otton but better productivity, with 635 yards and five touchdowns for Houston. Ko Kieft, the second tight end for Tampa Bay, is mostly a blocker, thus adding Schultz would allow for more two-tight end setups in which both tight ends are being threatened. But Schultz can also effectively block runs.
In the style that Bucs head coach Todd Bowles prefers to run the ball, having a strong tight end run blocker is important. Joe feels that a lot of opponents don’t appreciate the Bucs’ run game to the fullest extent possible, partly because of Otton’s poor blocking.
When you introduce a blocking tight end into the game who can threaten every down, the opponent will have to react, and you can then watch as Chris Godwin starts gouging defenses.