After this offseason, it certainly looks like the Buccaneers will have a formidable offense for years to come. The franchise hasn’t always had a lot of firepower on that side of the ball, but there have been some talented players. Here, we look at the five best tight ends in team history.
Whenever anyone mentions Buccaneers of the past, it always seems to be in relation to the defense. Tampa Bay has definitely had its share of defensive stars throughout the years. But despite the overall reputation of poor offensive play, the franchise’s history is still full of some big offensive playmakers. After looking through the top five quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers in team history, we now dive into the five best tight ends the Bucs have ever seen.
With the emergence of Cameron Brate in 2016 and the selection of O.J. Howard in the 2017 draft, Tampa Bay looks to have a bright future at the tight end position. By the time those two young talents develop and play out their careers with the Bucs, they may end up in the top five list that we’re constructing here. Brate will only be 26 years old when the season starts, while Howard will be just 22. There is a lot of potential for the Bucs at the position, especially with the sets that can be run with both guys on the field at the same time.
But for now, we’re turning back the clock and looking at the top five Tampa Bay tight ends since the franchise’s inception in 1976.
No. 5- Jackie Harris (1994-1997)
Starting off the list is someone who spent the middle years of his career in Tampa Bay: Jackie Harris. Harris put up pretty solid numbers at a time when teams were just starting to feature their tight ends a little bit more. Playing a year with Craig Erickson as his quarterback and three more with Trent Dilfer, Harris was a part of only one winning season. That winning season came in 1997, his final year with the team. Interestingly enough, that was his least productive year in Tampa Bay.
Overall, though, Harris put together some respectable numbers in his four seasons with the Bucs. His 137 catches and 1,634 yards rank him fifth among tight ends in franchise history. His six touchdowns put him at 10th, but he did manage to put up 11.9 yards per catch, which is tied for the fourth-best mark of tight ends (who have a minimum of 50 catches). Coincidentally, current Buccaneer tight end Cameron Brate also sits at 11.9 yards per catch at this point in his career.
Harris’ production was down in his final two seasons with the team, but that was partly a result of Tony Dungy coming in and implementing a run-focused offense. 1995 was the best year of Harris’ career, as he caught a career-high 62 passes for 751 yards, which was also a career-high. The Louisiana-Monroe product might not be too notable in the grander scheme of things, but as far as tight ends go, he was one of the best the Bucs have seen.
No. 4- Ron Hall (1987-1993)
Fourth on this list is the Bucs’ 1987 fourth-round pick: Ron Hall. Hall played with Tampa Bay from 1987 until 1993, racking up some numbers that put him near the top of the franchise’s all-time record books. He caught 209 passes (third among tight ends) for 2,422 yards (second) and 10 touchdowns (seventh). His durability was impressive, which helped him crack the starting lineup throughout his Tampa Bay career. He played in 101 games with the Bucs, starting 90 of them.
Like many players from his time period, Hall didn’t get to experience much winning with the Buccaneers. Over his seven years, the team won just 33 games. Tampa Bay failed to put together a winning season while he was on the roster. However, he put together a couple of solid seasons on an offense that struggled heavily at times. In the 1988 season, he caught a career-high 39 passes for 555 yards, which would remain his career-high forever. His four touchdowns in 1992 were a career-high as he went on to tie his career-high for receptions in the same year.
Unfortunately, Hall passed away at his home in Costa Rica in 2007. He was just 43 years old. He is the only player on this list that was drafted by Tampa Bay (spoiler alert). Although he is no longer with us, his legacy lives on. He made his mark with the Buccaneers, which lands him on this list of all-time tight end greats.
No. 3- Dave Moore (1992-2001, 2004-2007)
Cracking the list at No. 3 is someone that Buccaneer fans are still familiar with to this day: Dave Moore. Over the course of his career, he had two stints with the Bucs that saw him pile up some huge numbers. He played a variety of positions, including longsnapper later in his career, but his time as the team’s tight end has him among the best at the position. Moore played with Tampa Bay for 13 years, which translated to 190 of his 220 career games. Those 220 games played are the fourth-most by a tight end in NFL history.
He may have had more time to put up his high-ranking numbers, but that doesn’t make them any less impressive. If anything, his longevity in the league and with the Bucs makes them even better. Over 13 seasons with Tampa Bay, Moore had 184 receptions (fourth among tight ends) for 1,805 yards (also fourth) and 24 touchdowns (second). Those 24 receiving touchdowns are also seventh all-time among all Buccaneer receivers. He had a knack for finding the end zone, especially in 1999, when he caught a career-high five touchdowns.
These days, fans may know Moore for his color commentary on Tampa Bay’s radio broadcasts. He works alongside Gene Deckerhoff in the booth, but in his time with the Bucs he played with quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde, Craig Erickson, Trent Dilfer, Shaun King, Brad Johnson, Brian Griese, Chris Simms, Bruce Gradkowski and Jeff Garcia. That’s a lot of quarterbacks, which is a big testament to his longevity. He certainly has a spot in team history as one of the franchise’s best tight ends. Oh, and there was that time that he was the longsnapper on Matt Bryant‘s 62-yard game-winning field goal against Philadelphia.
No. 2- Kellen Winslow Jr. (2009-2011)
At No. 2, we have someone who was traded to Tampa Bay for a 2009 second-round pick and 2010 fifth-round pick: Kellen Winslow Jr. That trade worked out for the Bucs, at least while the former Miami Hurricane was with them. His time in Tampa was short, but not because he lacked production. After his third season with the team, he was traded to Seattle.
But while he wore the red and pewter, he put up some big-time numbers, even carrying the offense at times. In each of his three seasons as a Buc, he led all receivers in receptions. In his first year, he set a Tampa Bay tight end record for receptions with 77 and receiving yards with 884. In 2010, the franchise’s most recent 10-win season, he once again led receivers in receptions with 66. He was second on the team in receiving yards (730) and receiving touchdowns (five). In his final year with the team, he caught 75 passes (first on the team) for 763 yards (second) and two scores (third).
His overall numbers have him among the best tight ends in franchise history, despite the fact that he only spent three years in the Bay. Winslow finished his Tampa Bay career with 218 catches (second among tight ends), 2,377 yards (second) and 12 touchdowns (third). Putting up those numbers in only three years was quite impressive. Along with the numbers, he impressed with his ability to help carry the offense at a time when Antonio Bryant and Mike Williams were pretty much the only other options. For all of that, he lands at No. 2 on this list.
No. 1- Jimmie Giles (1978-1986)
Claiming the top spot on this list, by no surprise at all, is a Buccaneer legend: Jimmie Giles. Not only is Giles the best tight end in franchise history, but also one of the best receivers. He was drafted in 1977 by the Houston Oilers before coming to Tampa Bay in 1978. He was with the Bucs until 1986, but his time with the team was not without conflict. For a few years, he had issues with the coaching staff. He was used more as a blocker for years due to those problems, then held out of training camp at one point. But despite all of that, he was the best Tampa Bay tight end ever.
Over his nine years with the Bucs, he caught 279 passes (eighth among all receivers) for 4,300 yards (fourth) and 34 touchdowns (first). All of those numbers, obviously, are the best out of all Buccaneer tight ends. He played on three playoff teams, including the 1979 team that lost 9-0 in the NFC title game. His best season came in 1981, when he put up career-highs in catches (45) and yards (786). In 1985, Giles caught four touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. That’s still a single-game franchise record to this day.
What’s even more notable about Giles’ performance and overall numbers is the fact that he wasn’t used as much as he could have been. The league as a whole didn’t feature tight ends all that much, but because he fell out of favor with his coaches at one point, he lost out on some valuable time. Had he always been featured as the top talent that he was, maybe he would be at the very top of every receiving category in the team’s record books. Regardless, he is still immortalized inside Raymond James Stadium. In 2011, Giles was the third person, and first offensive player, inducted into the stadium’s Ring of Honor. He is more than deserving of that honor. And of course, he is more than deserving of his top spot on this list of the Bucs’ best tight ends ever.
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