Buccaneers should listen to veteran cut suggestion for cap space

It’s officially the time of the year where unexpected cuts start coming across the football world. The Buccaneers should keep an eye on Cameron Brate’s contract.

There are some major changes coming for the Buccaneers. Like it or not, this team is no longer a Super Bowl contender with the current quarterback issues, and it may be time to look at this roster as one in need of a rebuild.

Tampa has some great pieces on both sides of the ball, but this offseason could see a decent chunk of that talent leave in free agency.

If the team isn’t built to compete immediately, the only focus should be on getting better for the future to get back in Super Bowl shape as soon as possible.

‘Rebuild’ is a scary word, but this is a reality for the Buccaneers in the short term. If this really is how the team handles the plans going forward, getting off some of the pricier veterans is where these moves will start.

Enter tight end Cameron Brate.

PFF was able to put the idea to paper, but this is far from a new notion for Bucs fans to get behind. People have been talking about a Brate departure for several years now, and while we don’t think it will actually come to pass, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth considering.

As the article mentions, Brate’s value to the roster relative to his cost is a point of contention. The Bucs wouldn’t save themselves a ton of money in a move like this, but it would put them in a position to start investing in the position for the future.

There are better free agents on the market that would cost a similar amount. Brate just doesn’t move the needle, so it makes sense that people would wonder why he is still making his current salary.

However, this is almost assuredly not a decision the Bucs will make. Brate is a team player that should have a place in Tampa for years to come after showing a willingness to take pay cuts and see his role change with new names coming in and out.

To make matter worse for the ‘cut Brate crowd,’ the Bucs won’t want to thrust a new quarterback into a starting role with a completely new tight end room. Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard could both be gone, and starting from scratch is a dangerous prospect if the front office actually believes it can compete.

Cutting Brate would free up some space and push the franchise closer to seriously competing down the road, but it would be surprising if this actually happened.

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