Bucs news: Cameron Brate says players will 'step up' without Jameis Winston

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to play without star quarterback Jameis Winston for the first three games of the 2018 NFL season due to suspension. Tight end Cameron Brate talks about how the team will respond without their Bucs leader under center.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were dealt a huge blow last week with the announcement that quarterback Jameis Winston will be suspended three games to start the 2018 season due to his alleged involvement in an incident where he groped a female Uber driver back in March 2016.

This has put the Buccaneers in a bit of precarious position to be the year that could be quite decisive in how the regular season plays out. During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, veteran tight end Cameron Brate voiced that believes his teammates will step up collectively in Winston's absence.

#Bucs TE Cameron Brate: Jameis is the leader of our team. It's unfortunate for us that we're going to be without him for the 1st 3 games. It's not the way we want the season to start, without Jameis, but we have guys who are gonna step up & put us in a good spot to win some games pic.twitter.com/GFSKuMJ3SN

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 3, 2018

The Bucs have a tough schedule to begin the regular season against the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles. This could see them quickly fall into a hole to start the year facing three playoff teams from a year ago that all are expected to be in contention for the Super Bowl once again in 2018. The loss of Winston over that span could be a significant hit to their offense as he has shown that he can be a viable starting quarterback in the NFL.

That said, this has placed longtime journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick into the starting job with Winston out of the lineup. Fitzpatrick had some success as the starter last season holding a 2-1 record while throwing for seven touchdown passes to three interceptions while completing 58 percent of his passes. There may have created some level of comfort and optimism from the Bucs that they can get the job done with him under center.

Fitzpatrick will have formidable options around him in wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans along with Bates and O.J. Howard at tight end that should help him find some success in the passing game. Meanwhile, rookie running back Ronald Jones could be the spark plug in the backfield that the Bucs need to bring balance to the offense. Ultimately, Tampa Bay will have to prove it on the field that they can find success without Winston on the field.