Rachaad White picked who he thinks is the Buccaneers 'sleeper' this season
By Josh Hill
With just a few weeks to go before training camp gets underway, pundits around the NFL are trying to get in their last-minute predictions.
There will still be plenty of runway for experts to chime in on what they think might happen, but it's not just analysts who are weighing on the future. Rachaad White has spent every day of his career with the Bucs and knows a thing or two about what's going on inside the locker room.
He offered up a little insider trading, shouting out one of his teammates as a potential sleeper this season that everyone should keep an eye on.
Rachaad White thinks Cade Otton is the Buccaneers sleeper this season
There could be an argument that White is the team's biggest sleeper. Even though he burts onto the scene last season as Tampa Bay's RB1, there are still some who doubt he can continue to carry the load and truly develop into the type of player the Bucs need in the backfield.
Perhaps he's more poised for a breakout season, even if he's generally being slept on. White identified another player on offense who he thinks he's being slept on, though, and it seems to be a pretty popular pick this offseason.
"I had a lot of guys that came in with me, too, that made awesome plays,'' White said while appearing on The Rich Eisen Show. "Our tight end, Cade Otton, he's a sleeper."
This isn't the first time we've heard Otton's name in relation to being some sort of a slept on rising star this offseason. He's been a popular pick among experts and publications like PFF to standout in a big way in his second season with Baker Mayfield.
Given Mayfield's tendencies to favor his tight end previously in his career, the stars were already aligning for Otton going back to last season. He finished the year with more yards, touchdowns, and a higher catch percentage than he had his rookie season with Tom Brady under center.
Entering his third year as a clear target for Mayfield, who threw to him on just over 10 percent of his passing attempts last season, puts him in prime position to breakout. Otton was the fourth-most targeted receiver last year, finishing just one catch shy of tying Trey Palmer.
Mayfield has a ton of pressure on him to repeat the success he had last season, and the Bucs need to find a way to build on everything that happened. That's going to mean guys like Otton are not only dialed up more in the passing game, but need to come through when that happens.
Last year was proof of concept that Otton can be a top tight end for the Bucs, but this is the year he'll need to truly earn his keep.
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