Buccaneers restructuring Cameron Brate’s contract win/win

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jason Licht are at it again. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Bucs have worked out yet another contract restructure. This time it’s with tight end Cameron Brate. Brate will get a $2.425 million signing bonus and his salary is now $1.075 million in 2021 with a team option in his final two years of the new deal. It also clears $4.69 million in cap space.

What is there really else to say at this point. Licht may not be from this Earth. With the re-signing of Antonio Brown making the big headlines, the team now has more cap room to breathe and sign draft picks, amongst other potential moves (and re-sign AB) thanks to Licht and Brate. If Licht doesn’t win some sort of award then what are we really even doing here.

This move is incredible for the front office obviously, but it’s also incredible on the field as well. The Buccaneers now get to hang on to their most dependable tight end (age and health-wise) on the roster.

Rob Gronkowski did play in all 16 games in 2020 and scored two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, but his body is a shell of itself. Speaking of which, O.J. Howard meanwhile can barely stay on the field. He rarely gets the chance to show off his incredible skill and athleticism to reach his ceiling. They now get to keep their security blanket in Brate. If Howard stays healthy, great. It’s another weapon in the arsenal. If not, they still have Brate.

In the case of Brate, since joining the Buccaneers in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard, he fought for a roster spot for about two years.  Since joining the team full time, Brate hasn’t missed a game since 2016, when he missed one. For reference the season before in 2015 he missed two.

In the playoffs last season, all Brate did was catch 14 balls for 175 yards and a touchdown, which were better than that of Gronkowski. Gronk got the glory of the Super Bowl touchdowns, but Brate’s came in the third quarter of the NFC Championship Game, the last touchdown the Buccaneers would score in the game.

This just goes to show that Brate is still ol’ reliable for the Buccaneers. He’s proven that on the field (and staying on the field) and proved in the playoffs that he’s only getting better. Most importantly, Tom Brady seems to be trusting him more and getting more comfortable with him as well. Speaking of Brady, Brate is also proving his reliability by restructuring his deal to help the team, a page right out of the GOAT’s book.

This deal is a win/win for the Buccaneers, both for the front office, and the team on the field. Once again, they have ol’ reliable Cameron Brate to thank.