In a nod to a hard-working undrafted free agent, and a warning to a highly touted second-round pick, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter confirmed a shakeup atop the team's tight end depth chart on Wednesday.
Cameron Brate, a Harvard graduate who signed with the Bucs back in 2014, only to bounce onto New Orleans' roster the year after before returning to Florida, is the team's starting tight end. For those with an eye on the Bucs this offseason, it seems the proclamation has been a long time coming. Brate came on strong this offseason and is flashing early in his second go-round with the team.
The immediate question is obvious: Where does this leave Austin Seferian-Jenkins... According to several reports, Seferian-Jenkins has been splitting out wide as a receiver during the early days of Bucs camp, though this is likely just the product of typical camp cross-training. Seferian-Jenkins was dismissed from the field during a practice in minicamp, though the team dismissed it as a "wake-up call," according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. He was not lining up correctly, which drew the ire of Koetter. Brate didn't have more than five catches or six targets in a game at any point last year. But he did contribute, including a span of three TDs in five games between Weeks 8-12. He averaged about 35-percent of the snaps.
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