The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were hoping that star tight end Rob Gronkowski would be back in 2022 for one last go-around in the NFL. Unfortunately, that won't be the case after the 33-year-old announced his retirement (again) on Tuesday. With Gronk set for a much-deserved retirement, the Buccaneers will now be forced to address the tight end position, where they suddenly find themselves with a significant hole to fill.
With the season not far off, the Buccaneers need to hone in on some potential replacements for Gronkowski following his retirement decision. As it stands, the Bucs have Cameron Brate in place to serve as one of their starting tight ends. Opposite him remains a giant question mark.
Behind Brate on the depth chart are a pair of rookies, both of whom the Buccaneers drafted this year, possibly in anticipation of Gronkowski's departure. Cade Otten was a fourth-round selection out of Washington, while Ko Kieft was selected in the sixth round via Minnesota. It remains to be seen if either of them are ready to take on a big role in the offense as rookies, which could result in the Buccaneers making a late splash in free agency to address Gronkowski's replacement.
With all that in mind, here are the three best tight ends the Buccaneers can add to replace Rob Gronkowski after his bombshell retirement decision.
3 tight ends Buccaneers can target to replace Rob Gronkowski
3. Jimmy Graham
The Buccaneers are likely looking at a one-year rental for whomever they decide to bring in, so why not look at one of the most productive tight ends in recent memory? In his prime, Jimmy Graham was one of the top dogs at his position, and while he's lost a step through age and injury, he could be a viable option for the Buccaneers after Gronk called it quits. Graham featured in 15 games for the Bears last year, but was scarcely used in the passing game, registering just 14 receptions. Targeted a total of just 23 times in 2022, Graham had his least productive season to date. Still, he was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2017, when he caught 10 touchdown passes on the Seahawks.
A proven red-zone threat, Graham could take on a bigger role for Tampa than he did in Chicago, as Brady has always shown an eagerness to throw to his tight ends. It's unclear just how much left Graham has in the tank, but the Bucs could do a lot worse than bringing him aboard to find out.
2. Cade Otton
The Buccaneers drafted Otton in the fourth round this year, and while the franchise may not have envisioned him having a big role as a rookie, he may be called upon to fill the void left by Gronkowski. Otton isn't the biggest presence as a receiver, but he's an excellent blocker who could help out tremendously in pass protection. He hauled in a total of 91 receptions across four years at Washington, tallying 1,026 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. The 23-year-old was one of two rookie tight ends drafted by the Buccaneers this offseason, and now that Gronk has officially retired, Otton's path to playing time just got a whole lot clearer.
If the Buccaneers decide against bringing in a veteran tight end to replace Gronk, they may well look to challenge Otton to take over the role opposite Brate. At 6-foot-5 and 247 lbs, Otton is a massive body and could benefit from the pinpoint accuracy he'd receive on passes from Brady to help him improve as a receiver.
1. Jared Cook
Another aging veteran, Cook has shown consistently that he still has enough gas left in the tank to be a viable option on offense. The 35-year-old hasn't registered fewer than 500 receiving yards in a single season since 2016 when he was limited to just 10 games, only five of which he started.
Last year with the Chargers, Cook racked up 48 receptions on 83 targets, accumulating 564 receiving yards for 4 touchdowns. He's a great end-zone threat, always capable of hauling in multiple touchdown passes. Over the past four years, Cook has a total of 26 touchdown receptions, which is outstanding for a tight end. Most of the big-name or flashy tight ends have already been plucked out of free agency, but Cook remains available and could provide some valuable experience at the top of what is a youthful tight ends group in Tampa Bay.
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