Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting tight end Cade Otton is one of the biggest names set to hit the free agent market on the team this spring, and given the dearth of options at the position available, Otton is going to be one of the most in-demand names this offseason at tight end.
Otton has caught 59 passes in each of the past two seasons, and while that is a decent output, his lack of big plays on those receptions and his inability to progress into a star make him ripe to be overpaid this offseason - or potentially catapult to stardom in a different offense.
Other teams around the league appear to be more bullish on Otton as a possible starting tight end in their skill position group. NFL journalist Matt Lombardo recently wrote that Otton will be one of the "most coveted" tight ends on the free agent market this year, and it's a sentiment that has been echoed by other national beat reporters and insiders.
Cade Otton is going to be in demand in NFL free agency
Otton is primed to get paid more than the Bucs are willing to offer this offseason, and unless the new Bucs offensive coordinator has something special planned for him, Otton is sure to walk. There's a lot to be said about players benefiting from a fresh restart, and if after four seasons in Tampa Bay Otton was unable to be an important enough piece of the offense to get more than 600 receiving yards, a new sitaution may be what he needs.
Still just 26 years old, Otton isn't yet in his prime years as an NFL tight end, and with performances like the 94-yard display against the Carolina Panthers in a crucial Week 17 battle, Otton has shown flashes of being a potential weapon in the passing game, especially as a big slot or roving tight end in that hybrid receiving role.
The NFL isn't just a league based on what you are doing for me now; it's also a league that is based upon projecting the future, especially in free agency. A team with a better coaching staff is going to look at Otton as an opportunity, and Otton himself is going to take that opportunity and cash it in with a real payday. The Buccaneers are already going to be looking at options on the draft board at tight end, and if they do watch Otton shine elsewhere in 2026, they'll have to learn not to repeat the same mistakes with their next guy.