Buccaneers: 3 potential trade packages for Cameron Brate
By Rob Leeds
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have almost no reason to keep Cameron Brate on their current roster with his current usage. Here are some trades to consider.
It is almost impossible to imagine how a tight end of Cameron Brate‘s caliber could never see the field in an offense that practically lives in 12 personnel sets. Still, Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers have shown that he is no longer needed.
The Bucs have relied heavily on Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard as their main duo, and Brate has been an afterthought for the entirety of the season.
Tampa Bay couldn’t have known that Gronk would return from retirement to play for the Bucs before they gave Brate an extension, but their best option now is to trade the exceedingly expensive tight end. The Bucs have the most expensive tight end room in the NFL, and they will need to make up some cap space for the future.
Even with injuries to one of the starters, Brate doesn’t fit Bruce Arians’ scheme. Antony Auclair is a far cheaper alternative that could fit the system better than Brate.
Brate has played well during his time in Tampa Bay, but the Bucs can’t afford to continue paying him at his current rate when he never touches the field. The veteran tight end has only played 16 snaps for the Bucs so far this season, has zero catches and zero targets. The Buccaneers have shown that Brate is not going to play a role in their hunt for the playoffs, and for that reason, they should start looking into trade options.