Patriots Should Target Buccaneers Playmaker, But Not Mike Evans

Patriots Should Target Buccaneers Playmaker, But Not Mike Evans originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots have plenty of positions to address during free agency: edge, wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end.

It’s not going to be easy to check all of those boxes, though...

If the club intends on putting itself in a position to regularly contend, it will have to put together another near-flawless offseason -- which somewhat surprisingly could involve bringing in Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.

Let's take a look!

Bio:

Cade Otton
Position: TE
Height: 6’ 5"
Weight: 247lbs
2026 Age: 27 (April 15, 1999)
2025: 16 G, 59 REC, 572 REC YDS, 1 TD

The Patriots should sign Cade Otton because:

It's time to do something about the uncertainty at tight end...

I've been opining about the organization's insistence on kicking the can down the road at that position for the last several seasons, but the fact is they need bring in a short-term replacement for Austin Hooper and a long-term replacement for Hunter Henry.

Otton can do both, as he would immediately become the club's top option, allowing them to carve out an advantageous role in the passing game for Henry and to ultimately say goodbye to Hooper. The Buccaneers weren't overly reliant upon him, but he's an outstanding three-down player who helps move the chains no matter what his role is on each individual play.

The Patriots should not sign Cade Otton because:

It's probably going to take two...

Otton is supremely underrated and would be an outstanding fit, but investing money into the position likely won't be as advantageous as investing draft capital while also picking up the pieces in what is expected to be a heavily saturated tight end market.

Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar (Baltimore Ravens), Chigoziem Okonkwo (Tennessee Titans) and David Njoku (Cleveland Browns) would likely come at a cheaper average annual value. Houston's Tanner Koziol, Notre Dame's Eli Raridon and Texas' Jack Endries are high-upside options that can be had in the later rounds and potentially develop into your top option.

If you snag one of each, there's no need to spend big on Otton.

Best Fits:

1. New England Patriots
2. Miami Dolphins
3. Tennessee Titans

It's one of those weird offseasons where the number of free agent tight ends outweighs the number of teams who need tight ends, which is good news for the teams that need tight ends.

The Patriots will sign at least one of the many decent options available to them, and this would represent the big swing. I'd imagine they'll put in a call, before eventually shifting their attention toward cheaper options who fit the current timeline -- Kolar and Raridon would be a decent little haul.

More NFL: Patriots Offseason Preview: Everything Team Must Address In 2026