![\"Cade](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2181373900-e1739676317111.jpg\")
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton. <\/p>\n
One of the biggest questions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> headed into the 2026 free agent cycle has been with their skill positions \u2014 mainly with wide receiver Mike Evans<\/a> and tight end Cade Otton<\/a>.<\/p>\n They answered one of those questions early on Monday as free agency officially opened.<\/p>\n \u201cBREAKING: The Bucs are re-signing TE Cade Otton, per sources,\u201d NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote<\/a> on his official X account. \u201cOtton has put up 207 receptions, 2,018 yards and 11 TDs in four years with Tampa Bay. A very underrated TE.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of a number of good tight ends on the free agent market,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter said on Monday. \u201cThe Buccaneers might lose Mike Evans \u2026 so they want to make sure they don\u2019t lose more weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n Cryptic Social Media Post Raised Questions<\/p>\n found himself at the center of some of that wild speculation this week after a\u00a0cryptic post to his official Instagram account<\/a>\u00a0on Monday just weeks before he\u2019s set to become a free agent for the 1st time.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t wait to see what the rest of 2026 brings,\u201d Otton wrote, accompanied by a slideshow of pictures of his time with the Buccaneers and with his family, including his wife, Sierra, and their 2 young children.<\/p>\n Otton was a 4th round pick (No. 104 overall) out of the University of Washington in the 2022 NFL<\/a> draft and just played out his 4-year, $4.49 million rookie contract.<\/p>\n NFL.com\u2019s Gregg Rosenthal<\/a>\u00a0ranked Otton as the No. 18 available free agent in his Top 101 free agent rankings.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to Cade Otton Island, where you can run any offense you want while never giving an inch in the run game,\u201d Rosenthal wrote. \u201cIn our growing two-tight end world, every NFL team needs an Otton.\u201d<\/p>\n Comments Roast Otton on Social Media<\/p>\n Buccaneers fans don\u2019t think quite as highly of Otton\u2019s game as the experts do, and hew as roasted underneath different shares of his post on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cCya Cade, thank you for everything you did and lastly by freeing up that extra cap to get us someone who will score TDs from your position brother,\u201d\u00a0Lone Wolf Method wrote<\/a>\u00a0on their official X account. \u201cMay the next team you sign with get themself a good run blocker in your best ability!\u201d<\/p>\n Otton was also called out for not wearing football gloves \u2014 a major advantage to anyone trying to catch a football.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully 2026 brings him a pair of gloves,\u201d\u00a0X user Doug Michael wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n Otton Likely Overvalued in Market Projection<\/p>\n Market projects for Otton that have him projected to receive a 3-year, $23.7 million contract might have him wildly overvalued \u2014 teams would be smart to start with something more along the lines of a 2-year, $10 million offer.<\/p>\n Otton\u2019s value might be higher because of 1 game, after he had 7 receptions for 94 yards and 1 touchdown \u2014 his only touchdown of the season \u2014 in a win over the\u00a0Carolina Panthers<\/a>\u00a0in the regular season finale.<\/p>\n Otton entered the season finale with 52 receptions \u2014 the most receptions in the NFL without a touchdown to that point. He matched total from 2024 with 59 receptions and wasn\u2019t far behind his yardage total with 572 yards, although he played in 16 games in 2025 and only played 14 games in 2024.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tTony Adame<\/a> covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Buccaneers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t