Buccaneers: 3 biggest cuts coming for the 53-man roster
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers should roll with three tight ends
Hudson will be a tough player to watch leave. After scratching and clawing his way onto the active roster and playing great in the preseason two years ago, Hudson simply isn’t there on a roster that needs more from their tight ends.
The Bucs already have one tight end that isn’t a stellar blocker, and Cameron Brate can make up for this as one of the best red zone tight ends in the league. In his limited chances both in the regular season and the postseason, Hudson fails to pop, and it is time for the Bucs to start investing in different areas to make their roster more efficient.
Hudson was an excellent pass-catcher for the Bucs during the preseason, but the stats don’t tell the whole story. Hudson’s success is more the product of volume, much how Ryan Griffin looks like a starter during the preseason but never any other times. Bruce Arians has to remain wary of the preseason stars, and Hudson fits the bill.
Only carrying three tight ends gets somewhat dangerous, but the past years have shown that even if the Bucs do keep a fourth, they want that player to be better as a blocker. Antony Auclair is out of the mix, and Hudson is far from a replacement as a blocker.
Hudson likely won’t clear waivers, especially when considering the need for a pass-catching tight end at many teams across the league, but the Bucs still need to make the right decision and start looking in a different area.