The Buccaneers have built themselves into one of the NFL’s most complete offensive teams, but there’s still one spot on the roster that doesn’t quite match the rest: tight end.
Baker Mayfield gives Tampa Bay a high-end quarterback when he’s rolling. The offensive line can be one of the league’s most dominant groups when healthy.
The receiver room remains deep even without Mike Evans, with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst, and Tez Johnson all in the mix. The backfield is strong too, thanks to Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker.
At tight end, though, the picture gets murkier. Cade Otton is the steady starter, but the depth behind him is thin.
Ko Kieft brings value as the team’s best blocking tight end and a strong special teams piece, but he doesn’t factor much as a pass catcher. Payne Durham is another solid run blocker, yet he had just one reception last season.
Devin Culp hasn’t made much of an imprint as either a receiver or blocker and is on the roster bubble this offseason. Tampa Bay also used a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Bauer Sharp, who looks promising, but that’s a lot to ask from a rookie taken that late.
That’s why a trade could make sense if the Buccaneers want to attack their biggest remaining offensive weakness. FanSided’s Justin Carter recently proposed Cade Stover of the Houston Texans as the target, naming Tampa Bay as the NFC South favorite in his trade ideas piece.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a solid starting tight end in Cade Otton, but the situation behind him is rough. Payne Durham?
Ko Kleft? Bauer Sharp?
Timothy C. Davidson III?
(I made one of those names up, and the fact that many of you aren't sure which one at the moment says plenty about the state of this position room.),” wrote Carter.
Houston has plenty of bodies at the position already. Dalton Schultz sits atop the depth chart, with Foster Moreau and Bevin Jordan behind him. The Texans also used a premium second-round pick this offseason on Marlin Klein out of Michigan, which only makes the path narrower for Stover.
That lack of opportunity could open the door for Tampa Bay to buy low. Stover, a 2024 fourth-round pick, has only 27 career receptions, but Carter argued the upside is still there.
“The 2024 fourth-round pick has just 27 career receptions, but the upside is still arguably there. He just needs a fresh start somewhere he can actually earn reps, and he should have no trouble finding those reps in Tampa Bay,” wrote Carter.
Stover entered the league with a reputation for receiving ability and athleticism, and while he’s not viewed as a standout blocker, he would give the Buccaneers something they don’t currently have at tight end: a more natural receiving threat.
Jason Licht has never been eager to give up draft capital, especially for a rotational player, but Tampa Bay at least has reason to make the call. If the price is right, Stover could be the kind of move that rounds out an already loaded offense.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Suddenly Look Stuck Between Baker And Their Next Quarterback
The Buccaneers are heading into training camp with Baker Mayfield still in place, but without the kind of contract resolution that would quiet the long-term questions around the position. Talks have stalled with a deadline looming at the start of camp, and while Mayfield is still expected to be Tampa Bays starter in 2026, the bigger picture remains unsettled for a team trying to balance present stability with future planning.
That uncertainty is why the quarterback conversation around Tampa Bay has started to widen beyond Mayfield. The Bucs have been tied in speculation to a possible trade for Clevelands Shedeur Sanders as a developmental option or eventual successor, though nothing official has been reported. For now, it leaves Tampa Bay in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, trying to hold the line with its current starter while also keeping an eye on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Suddenly Faces A Defining Season In Tampa Bay
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The warning signs are hard to ignore after a disappointing 2025 campaign, when the Buccaneers fell short of the postseason for the first time since Tom Bradys final season. Bowles also has to answer for a defense that did not live up to the investment made on that side of the ball, and with the leagues coaching carousel always moving, another uneven year could make this a defining stretch for his tenure. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Draft Class Is Earning Serious Respect Before Camp Begins
Before training camp even opens, the Buccaneers 2026 draft class is already drawing a little more national attention than most rookie hauls do this time of year. Sports Illustrated recently slotted Tampa Bay at No. 8 in its re-ranking of the class, with first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., third-round receiver Ted Hurst III and fourth-round defensive back Keionte Scott doing the heavy lifting in that early praise.
Bain gives the group its headline appeal after a college career built on relentless disruption, while Scott and Hurst look like the kind of mid-round additions that can push for real roles if they translate cleanly to the next level. Tampa Bay also added Josiah Trotter, DeMonte Capehart, Billy Schrauth and Bauer Sharp, but the full shape of this class will not really come into focus until camp starts sorting out who is ready to contribute right away and who still needs time. [Read more 🡒]