Gronkowski Retirement Presents Otton with Opportunity

One NFL observer thinks the former Husky tight end will be ready to go in Tampa Bay.

Cade Otton, you're up.

With Rob Gronkowski retiring on Tuesday, the former University of Washington tight end became a much more valuable roster addition for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As a fourth-round draft pick, Otton likely envisioned watching Gronk handle most of the snaps and slowly working his way into meaningful minutes as a first-year player.

Instead, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound rookie from Tumwater, Washington, will compete with eight-year NFL veteran Cam Brate, originally not drafted from Harvard, and whoever else the Bucs bring in to contend for the starting job.

Some NFL observers such as Shane Vereen already are handing the Tampa Bay tight-end mantle to Otton and advising others not to be surprised if he makes an early and easy transition to pro football.

“Cade Otton is a great, great tight end," said Vereen, a former California running back, current  Pac-12 Networks football analyst and a SiriusXM NFL Radio co-host. "He was a great college tight end. I think he has the wherewithal and the smarts to get on the same page in a Tom Brady offense, and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people."

Before all that takes place, Otton like everyone felt compelled to salute his almost Tampa Bay teammate with a message of respect.

"The best to ever do it," Otton wrote on social media. "Thanks for making it cool to be a tight end!"

To which Gronkowski responded, "Make those Bucs proud this year young TE."

Vereen told how he's closely studied Otton over the past four seasons and saw a highly productive tight end with a huge upside. He insisted the UW tight end wasn't drafted higher because of COVID issues, an ankle injury and the Huskies experiencing a team falloff. 

A former New England Patriots runner and a Tom Brady teammate for four seasons, Vereen thinks Otton and the Bucs' Hall of Fame quarterback-to-be will make an instant connection.

“He is going to be one of the top rookie pass catchers, in my opinion, this season," Vereen said. "He's that good of a tight end."

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