Cameron Brate looked like the odd man out to start the season. With O.J. Howard and Rob Gronkowski shouldering the majority of the workload, it looked like Brate could be on his way out of Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers smartly held on to Brate, and a season-ending injury to Howard has Brate moving into a featured role.
Up until last week, Brate had been a non-factor for the Buccaneer offense. So far on the season, Brate has one catch for three yards that was also a touchdown. Other than that, Brate has seen no targets and rarely reached the field.
With Howard out, Brate will have to up his game in a significant way to keep the Buccaneer offense rolling. More than just serving as a pass-catcher, Brate has to block at a career level if Bruce Arians’ system is to work. Brate has always been more of a receiver than a blocker, and this transition could prove difficult in a matchup against a strong defense like Chicago.
The Buccaneers will rely heavily on Brate as a multi-faceted tight end, and he will need to have a big game if the Buccaneers don’t want this to come down to the wire. If Brate can step into Howard’s role and create a similar impact as a blocker, the Bucs should be fine for the rest of their season.