With the dust settling on the 2025 NFL season, the offseason is well underway. The rumor mill is in full swing, and free agency is just around the corner. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, that includes several key contributors, with a heavy emphasis on some big names that helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl back in the 2020-21 season.
Cade Otton is just one of the names to grace the free agency list, though he's just a bit too young to have been in Tampa for the Super Bowl 55 victory. It's still possible that the Bucs and Otton can come to terms on a new agreement, but current free agent trackers are expecting other high tier tight ends such as Isaiah Likely and David Njoku to be on the open market, to name a few. This could be a good and bad thing for the likes of Otton, who will be in good position for a hefty new contract in a strong tight end market, but it could mean abandoning his home of six seasons.
Should Otton choose to chase top dollar in the open market, the Bucs would be in need of a replacement. They could explore the free agency market where they could potentially spend a lot of cash, or alternately, they could make a phone call to Chicago, where veteran tight end Cole Kmet has widely been reported to be on the trade block.
Cole Kmet would immediately upgrade the tight end room in Tampa Bay
A trade between the Bucs and the Bears makes sense on more than one level. To begin, the Bears are currently projected to be operating approximately $4 million above the NFL salary cap, and will certainly be in need of creating cap space. Kmet currently has another two seasons on contract with Chicago, but clearing his name off the books would save the Bears just over $23 million across the next two years.
The Bears struck gold in the draft last season with first-round pick, tight end Colston Loveland, who displayed immediate chemistry with their quarterback Caleb Williams. While Kmet had previously provided a reliable target, Loveland overtook him, and by the end of the season he had become the Bears top receiving option While the new offense in Chicago regularly utilized two tight ends, it would make sense for Kmet to look for a home to treat him as a TE1. This is where the Bucs come in.
This trade wouldn't be about replacing Otton because he under performed. This is about the future and creating a sustainable receiving option for quarterback Baker Mayfield. Kmet's dominance in the red zone presents a clear edge over Otton, with ten more touchdowns across his career. Outside of receiving, Kmet boasts a full ten pounds more and an inch taller than Otton. It may seem like no big deal, but when your job involves blocking almost full time, any advantage, no matter how small, makes a difference.
Five years removed from their last Super Bowl appearance, the Bucs could genuinely benefit from a change like this. It may be difficult for the fans to say goodbye to the familiar names and faces that have graced the field for years, but the NFL is a fleeting beast. The choice here depends on a multiple things aligning, but it's not about replacing Otton. It's about raising the ceiling that the Bucs operate under. If Chicago is motivated by this move, Tampa Bay should be aggressive in their pursuit of the future.