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Otton Ready to Audition His Talents to NFL Audience

The former UW tight end gains clearance for the opening of training camp after having surgery.
Dan Raley|
Otton Ready to Audition His Talents to NFL Audience
Otton Ready to Audition His Talents to NFL Audience

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Washington Huskies

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp begins on Wednesday and the big news coming out of that NFL franchise is Cade Otton has been cleared to participate.

With the iconic Rob Gronkowski retired and not reconsidering, the Bucs need a ready replacement and someone quarterback Tom Brady can trust. 

More intriguing to the fan base is the idea that Otton, the former University of Washington standout, was one of the steals of the NFL draft because he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery.

The Bucs held him out of all organized team activities since the draft, including rookie and mandatory minicamps.

Team followers expect the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Otton to be good because Tampa Bay has been rewarded in.a huge way by previously drafting former UW defensive tackle Vita Vea and edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

On Wednesday, everyone in Central Florida will be able to get their first glimpse of Otton in person. 

Already, Tampa Bay has played up the endearing personality of Otton as the aw-shucks grandson of a legendary high school coach and himself notably as a grounded individual. 

Last season, Otton returned from a bout with COVID that forced him to miss two games only to tear up his ankle in the Arizona State game, which the Huskies lost 35-30 at home, and miss two more. 

Otton was seen at the Apple Cup riding a scooter with his left ankle heavily wrapped.

He finished his UW career with 91 receptions for 1,026 yards and 9 touchdowns. 

Otton went to the Bucs with a fourth-round pick, and the 106th overall, whereas he might have gone much higher had he not been hurt. He was one of two tight ends drafted by Tampa Bay, joined by sixth-rounder Ko Kieft.  

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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