Cade

Otton

Otton’s fourth target produced an uncalled defensive pass interference penalty on a late 3rd-and-13 with the Bucs driving for a potential tying touchdown. They ended up having to settle for a field goal, and that was all she wrote. Held under 30 yards in each of his past four games, things aren’t going to get any better for Otton with Mike Evans potentially/likely back for Thursday’s game against the Falcons. Otton is off the 12-team league radar for the fantasy playoffs.

Similar to what he’s done in the past, Otton had a huge mid-season spike in production as the Bucs battled skill corps injuries only for it to crash the second essentially anyone else got healthy. Otton is now sitting on eight catches for 58 scoreless yards over his past three appearances. That has him tumbling out of the TE2 ranks ahead of Week 14 against the Saints, and there will still be further to fall with Mike Evans (hamstring) inching closer to a return.

Bridgewater played the entire second half in the team’s Week 12 blowout loss to the Rams after Baker Mayfield went down with a shoulder injury that was deemed a “low-grade” shoulder sprain — one that could cost him at least one week. Bridgewater on Sunday completed eight of 15 attempts for 62 scoreless yards, with an average depth of target of 6.4, well short of Mayfield’s aDOT of 8.5. “He’s a different quarterback, so schematically, we’ll have to do some different things for him to make him feel comfortable within the offense and do a lot of things he likes to do,” Bowles said of Bridgewater. “There are some similar things, but there are also some differences that way to make him more comfortable. He’s been here long enough to where if he had to go, we can tweak it the right way for him to be successful.” Short-area Bucs pass catchers like Cade Otton and Rachaad White might benefit if Bridgewater draws the start in Week 13 against the Cardinals.

Otton’s surface stats look similar to the rest of the team considering the Buccaneers managed only 193 yards of total offense, but it was the mistakes that proved most costly. One of Baker Mayfield’s two interceptions was a ball juggled by Otton that was then ripped away by the defender, resulting in a pick-six in what was then a 7-0 game. The Rams would pile it on from there before taking a 31-7 lead into the break, made worse by a second quarter injury to Mayfield that held him out for the second half. The up-and-down season for the veteran tight end continues with uncertainty at the quarterback position, pending testing on Mayfield’s non-throwing shoulder.

The Bucs still don’t have a single passing touchdown to a tight end this season. Otton was tied for second on the team in targets in this one, but was unable to do much of anything. He could still be considered a low-end TE2 next week if Chris Godwin remains out, but it’s not a high upside play.

Otton’s nine receptions matched a career high and give him 35 on the season. That includes 25 over the past four weeks. It’s put Otton on the low-end TE1 radar, a ranking he can probably live up to in Week 11 as the Bucs will be tasked with matching points with the Bills on the road.

Otton nearly delivered a usable stat line on National Tight Ends Day, but it ended in heartbreak. On the Buccaneers’ first drive after halftime, Otton got loose on a 21-yard catch and run and attempted to avoid a Saints defender by diving for the end zone. Although the play was initially called a touchdown, it was overturned upon review, with the ball being spotted at the Saints’ one-yard line. The Buccaneers face the Patriots post-bye in Week 10. Otton is a high-end TE2.

Otton and the rest of the Tampa Bay offense struggled in the first half, managing only 52 yards of total offense before the break. They would then be thrust into a negative game environment following a 78-yard rushing score from Jahmyr Gibbs, which led to Otton seeing a boost in targets in the second half against the prevent defense of the Lions. Alpha wide receiver Mike Evans also departed in the second quarter, forcing the secondary options through the air to step up as Mayfield was tasked with 50 pass attempts. Otton won’t return meaningful volume in most weeks and he remains nothing more than a TE2 moving forward.

That’s 11 targets in two weeks for Otton, who the Buccaneers have relied on more without Mike Evans. It’s impossible to peg Tampa’s receiving room now that we’re dealing with three different major injuries to their main wideouts, so it’s hard to say what opportunity Otton will have next week until we see who else is playing. But on paper he certainly would appear to be a viable TE1 for Week 7’s Monday night showdown against the Lions.

Otton had just nine yards in Week 4 and didn’t have a single target in Week 3, so this performance seemingly came out of nowhere. However, his usage was clearly part of the game plan, since Baker Mayfield targeted him right out of the gate. Given how little Otton has done up until this point, it’s hard to know how much the Bucs will rely on him next week against the 49ers. Still, given how good the Bucs’ passing game has looked, Otton remains a risky TE2 for as long as Mike Evans is out.