In soccer, a slant route is constructed on timing and precision. The receiver doesn’t waste movement – he breaks sharply throughout the sphere into open house earlier than the protection can react. It’s easy in design, however separation is created by means of execution.
That very same strategy defines my weekly Saturday Bucs column, Slivon’s Slant.
Every week from now till coaching camp, I’ll have a look inside a special Bucs place group. The aim is to chop by means of the floor to seek out the clearest path in evaluating this roster because it takes form. Then, as soon as the season begins, the column will proceed providing completely different angles for breaking down and discussing the workforce. Final week, this column debuted by wanting on the quarterback, working again, and broad receiver positions.
Now, it’s on to the tight ends.
Inside The Bucs Tight Finish Room
Mr. Dependable: Cade Otton
There was a lot offseason debate about whether or not Cade Otton was the way forward for the Bucs tight finish room. Whereas providing strong manufacturing, Otton was believed to have priced himself out of city coming into free company. In the end, Tampa Bay had sufficient money to provide him a three-year, $30 million contract.
That’s an inexpensive value level in comparison with what different tight ends acquired on the open market, however the larger query is what the 2022 fourth-round decide will present in 2026. Is he actually the long-term reply, or just a high-end complementary piece?
Based mostly on his observe report, the solutions begin with him being Mr. Dependable and a jack-of-all-trades sort of participant.
Bucs TE Cade Otton – Picture by: IMAGN Photographs
Otton has not been a stat-sheet stuffer, however he does plenty of issues effectively for his place. He has proven the flexibility to deal with a sophisticated workload when the broad receiver room has been short-staffed as a consequence of accidents. Different occasions, he has earned his maintain as a blocker whereas being extra of a fourth or fifth choice within the passing sport. Based mostly on how the offense is trending heading into this season, one can count on that to proceed underneath Zac Robinson. It’s value highlighting Robinson being influenced by the Rams offense, which prolonged into him working the second-most 12 personnel within the league with the Falcons in 2025.
On one hand, that provides Otton an inside observe for the lion’s share of snaps on the place. He has performed over 90% of the offensive snaps every of the previous three seasons. Alternatively, he won’t essentially be the focus of play designs. Tampa Bay’s latest play-caller has plenty of mouths to feed, particularly on the broad receiver place. Add in making an attempt to contain Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell within the aerial assault, and Otton tasks to as soon as once more fill a job that isn’t glamorous. After doing an admirable job prior to now, there may be nothing flawed with having him as a starter.
He’s reliable and constant, which is about all this offense must be profitable.
Bodily Presence: Payne Durham
Heading into his fourth NFL season, Payne Durham stays a little bit of an enigma. Durham has flashed moments of promise as a receiver, doing his greatest Rob Gronkowski impersonation a few occasions with leaping catches and utilizing each little bit of his 6-foot-5, 255-pound body to go up and get it. But, these moments have been few and much between throughout his profession. He has appeared in 46 video games (18 begins) however has simply 17 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns. After coming into final yr with the expectation of being extra concerned, he made just one catch for 11 yards whereas taking part in 354 offensive snaps.
Bucs TE Payne Durham – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
As Durham instructed Pewter Report final summer time, his focus has been on changing into a dominating blocker. That offers him an outlined match on this offense, one stuffed with gritty play not outlined by the field rating. He has admitted he isn’t the quickest tight finish, which caps his function. At this level, he offers physicality and presents Baker Mayfield a red-zone goal who will get extra open as the sphere will get shorter.
Durham is anticipated to fill the blocking tight finish function once more this season, lining up within the backfield and pulling to tackle defensive tackles and linebacker assignments to clear lanes within the run sport. He’s a workforce participant prepared to do no matter it takes to win. For this Bucs offense, meaning soiled work and fewer pass-catching. He may come down with a landing or two however will probably be fired as much as be on the market and contribute nevertheless potential. That has sufficient worth to make the 53-man roster, though there may be extra competitors behind him.
Untapped Upside: Devin Culp
For all of the untapped receiving capacity talked about about Payne Durham above, there may be much more with Devin Culp as he’s all about velocity and athleticism. That was evidenced by him working a 4.47 40-yard time again on the 2024 NFL Scouting Mix, though that has but to translate into rather more than late-season cameos with the Bucs. His lack of taking part in time over the previous two seasons comes all the way down to a number of elements.
Bucs TE Devin Culp – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Whether or not it has been playbook mastery, blocking limitations, or just an absence of alternatives, two offensive staffs have but to carve out a significant function for him. Culp has placed on just a little measurement to enhance as a blocker since coming into the league, however 2026 traces up as a make-or-break season for him.
His aggressive benefit to taking part in time is for what he can provide as a receiver, particularly as a mismatch in sure packages. Even then, his season-high in receiving yards was 266 throughout 5 years at Washington. Already 26 years outdated, this offseason is his last shot to carve out a significant path, in any other case he’ll get left behind and be the odd man out.
Blocking Bruiser: Ko Kieft
If this column has pushed any level residence, it ought to be that the Bucs tight finish room is a pick-your-flavor sort of room. That theme continues with Ko Kieft, who was chosen in the identical draft class as Cade Otton and retained in free company by means of Jason Licht’s annual boat signing. Kieft has been a core particular teamer and designated blocker all through his time in Tampa Bay, with the group valuing these traits sufficient to maintain him round.
Final season didn’t go how he needed after struggling a damaged leg in Week 3 that saved him out for the rest of the yr. Whereas counted out prior to now to make the 53-man roster, he has discovered a technique to maintain his identify within the combine due to his excellent play on particular groups. Every offseason appears to carry predictions that Kieft’s roster spot is in jeopardy (together with by yours actually), but coaches proceed discovering worth in a participant prepared to do the soiled work.
Bucs TE Ko Kieft – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Kieft is one-dimensional, largely used as a fullback on working downs. He’s one of the best blocker of the bunch, and his influence was missed the remainder of the best way within the workforce’s futile makes an attempt to determine the bottom sport. So long as particular groups coordinator Danny Smith approves of him, he’ll proceed doing what he has within the league – going full velocity head-on into opponents to carry them all the way down to the bottom.
Wildcard Weapon: Bauer Sharp
Bauer Sharp is the extra unknown commodity of the bunch. He was probably not on anybody’s radar when the Bucs chosen him within the sixth spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft. After buying and selling up to take action, it’s evident how extremely they consider in Sharp’s potential. A former quarterback, he transformed to tight finish and is the developmental piece within the room. Given his mix of measurement and athleticism, he’s an intriguing dart throw who has the flexibility to make an influence as quickly as this season.
Bucs TE Bauer Sharp – Picture by: Adam Warren/PR
Sharp bounced round a bit within the collegiate ranks looking for his match, ending his time at LSU. He’s a flexible piece, particularly provided that he has lined up in numerous tight finish alignments and as an H-back. That offers him an opportunity to beat out Ko Kieft and/or Devin Culp for a roster spot, particularly as he’s the latest draft decide and youngest participant within the room.
Being a Day 3 draft decide, there are kinks to work out in his sport, however it’s nothing that’s unfixable with teaching. Sharp is probably the most intriguing participant for what he can turn into. It’s doubtless he makes the workforce, and the way he continues to develop over the summer time will decide whether or not he has a redshirt rookie yr or sees the sphere.
Closing Slant
The Bucs tight finish room has underwhelmed in recent times, ending thirty second in receptions (61) and in receiving yards (589) whereas being tied for thirty first in touchdowns (2) in 2025. It lacks star energy, relying extra on the do-it-all skillset of Cade Otton. Final season noticed the offense lean extra into the place for its blocking, with accidents to the offensive line necessitating such a philosophical shift. Zac Robinson’s playbook is extra open with potentialities, however the group stays led by Otton.
Payne Durham, Devin Culp, Ko Kieft, and Bauer Sharp will all get possibilities to show worthy of roster spots over the summer time, however some paring down of the place is required. The Bucs know who their TE1 is. For a place group that completed at or close to the underside of the league in manufacturing, the most important improvement won’t be Otton’s consistency – it will likely be whether or not somebody behind him forces a bigger function.
