Cade Otton
1. Football runs in his veins.
As a Tumwater native, he comes from Washington football royalty. Otton played football for his grandfather, legendary high school coach (all-time winningest high school head coach in the state of Washington), Sid Otton while attending Tumwater High. His grandfather led the team to four consecutive playoff appearances (47-5 record). In high school, Cade Otton was a triple-threat playing linebacker, tight end and long-snapper. He learned X’s and O’s at a young age, absorbing the nuances of the game of football from his family tree. He achieved many accolades during his high school career, setting school records in receiving yards (1,705), catches (95), and receiving touchdowns (33). “Feel like I was born with a football in my hands,” Otton described. That familiarity will only accelerate his acclimation to the pro level.
2. He was college teammates with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
At Washington, both Otton and Tryon-Shoyinka redshirted in 2017. From 2018-2020, Otton lined up against Tryon-Shoyinka in practice and the pair will reunite in Tampa Bay. Otton told media he believes Tryon-Shoyinka would say that they had many “great battles” in practice at the collegiate level. With the Bucs’ usage of multiple tight end sets and a talented linebacker corps with rare sideline-to-sideline range, Otton will have tough competition to prepare him for game days in the NFL.
3. He predominately lined up as an in-line blocker.
He spent most of his playing time as an in-line blocker at Washington in John Donovan’s pro-style scheme, but he is a route-running technician and can sustain catches through contact. Otton uses his frame to his advantage, boxing out defenders over the middle of the field. He will now join the Bucs’ tight end rotation featuring Cameron Brate and Codey McElroy. Whether it will be elevating the Buccaneers’ intermediate game or doing the dirty work in the trenches for teammates, Otton possesses a versatile…