The Bucs made a big move on Wednesday with the re-signing of Antonio Brown. But it put Tampa Bay over the salary cap. The Bucs got back under the cap by working out a pay cut with tight end Cameron Brate for the second year in a row.
Field Yates has reported that the Bucs have saved $4.69 million by redoing Brate’s deal. He’ll receive $2.425 million as a signing bonus with a base salary of $1.075 million this season. He already received a $250,000 roster bonus earlier this season, so Brate will make $3.75 million in 2021. Brate has another two years remaining on his deal and the Bucs hold the option on them. Tampa Bay also added two more voidable years to the contract.
The Bucs and TE Cameron Brate have agreed to a reworked deal that clears $4.69M in cap space.
Brate gets a $2.425M signing bonus and his salary is now $1.075M in 2021, with a team option for the final two years of his deal.
Tampa clears $$ to sign AB plus other moves as needed.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 28, 2021
The Bucs have jumped through many hoops in order to re-sign all of their players back from last year’s Super Bowl winner. It’s come from adding voidable years on contracts such as Lavonte David’s and extending the contract of Tom Brady. On Wednesday it was asking Brate for a pay cut.
This isn’t the first time that the Bucs have asked Brate for a restructure. In March of 2020, Brate’s contract was reworked just days after the announcement that the Bucs signed Tom Brady. A month later the Bucs would add to Brate’s position by trading for tight end Rob Gronkowski. Surely it paid off as the Bucs went on to win Super Bowl LV in their own stadium.
Even though this is the second straight year that the Bucs have asked Brate to take less money, it doesn’t mean he’s any less important to the team. Not only is he one of the longest tenured Bucs on the roster and a favorite of teammates and the fans, he was integral part of the offense in 2020 when O.J. Howard was out for the rest of the season. He saved his best for the postseason with 14 receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown.
Given Howard’s injury history and Gronkowski’s age, Brate could have another important role with the Bucs for the 2021 season.
Share On Socials
About the Author: Matt Matera
Mr Reliable, Brate is very under rated TE and important piece to our success all he does is catch everything and gets open, so happy to have him back man we are so loaded this yr its insane
overrated, but only by homer Bucs fans*
fify
Not overrated. Bucs fans know he isn’t a top ten TE but neither is the perennially injured Howard. Gronk, however, still is. Actually Brate is probably being paid what he is worth, it is Howard who is being overpaid and I think that is what irks Bucs fans the most. I know it does me.
Howard is hyped up every year by PR and media types ever year just like ASJ was only to spend a part or most of the season on IR.
Yes, Howard, known as the Wally Chambers of Buc tight ends. Chambers was famous for being referred to by McKay as the “Admiral” because he spent so much time in the hot tub due to injuries.
Wow, your as old as me to remember that. Do you remember Mike Boryla.
Yes. He actually thought he was the best QB on the roster…….and said so. Right before he was cut.
Before Brate restructured his contract, he absolutely was NOT paid what’s he’s worth. He wasn’t even worth half of his nearly 7 MIL dollar contract. Yeah, now, after Brate took a pay cut, and Howard got a raise, it’s more likely that Howard would be overpaid than Brate. But that’s only recently. It was the completely opposite before
What’s a homer Buc fan?
Bingo! Overrated doesn’t do it justice lol