When Rob Gronkowski retired in June, the Bucs were left searching for a veteran to pair with Cameron Brate in a tight end room otherwise full of youth.

Enter 11-year veteran Kyle Rudolph.

Tampa Bay signed Rudolph to a one-year deal last week before officially announcing the move on Monday. Two days removed from the official announcement, the 32-year-old got his first taste of action on Wednesday as the team opened training camp.

“He brings intelligence, he brings toughness and he brings savvy,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said after Wednesday’s practice. “And he’s played the game for a while. He gives us an extra guy that can block, catch the ball – you’re not going to replace Gronk. We’re going to have to do that in a variety of ways, whether it’s running the ball, tight ends or receivers. We have to replace his catches in other ways, but [Rudolph] brings us a veteran presence and understands the ball game. And he learns fast.”

Rudolph knows all about the void that Gronkowski, a future Hall of Famer, left. He made that clear on Wednesday.

“Those shoes are way to big to fill, and I’ve got pretty big feet,” Rudolph said. “Still, you’re never going to fill those shoes.”

Sure, there is no filling Gronkowski’s shoes. But because of his blocking ability, Rudolph slides right into the “Y” tight end spot previously occupied by Gronkowski. It’s a role that the Bucs needed to fill, especially considering Brate is more of an “F” tight end who contributes as a pass-catcher. The team drafted Cade Otton in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft, but he was only recently cleared for training camp. Rudolph’s presence allows him time to develop more as a No. 3 tight end in his rookie year.

But for as much as Rudolph will contribute as a blocker, he still has plenty to offer as a receiver. Even as a “Y” tight end, Gronkowski blended those two aspects of the game seamlessly. The former Minnesota Viking and New York Giant is out to show that he can still do the same at this stage in his career. He may only have two touchdowns in the last two seasons, but he totaled 47 over his first eight seasons in the NFL. And with the Bucs, he knows he’ll have plenty of opportunities to find the end zone in 2022.

Rudolph Ready To Contribute In The Red Zone

Bucs TE Kyle Rudolph – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs run an offense that relies heavily on the tight end position – especially in the red zone. That’s something that certainly appeals to Rudolph, who earned two Pro Bowl nods with the Vikings – in 2012 and 2017 – thanks in large part to impressive touchdown totals. Between those two seasons, he reached the end zone 17 times.

“It makes me extremely excited because that’s kind of how I’ve made a living in this career. That’s how I’ve stayed in this league as long as I have,” Rudolph said. “Those opportunities haven’t been there the last couple years, so I’m looking forward to getting back to getting those opportunities.

“If you play this game, that’s pressure that you want. When we get down there, whether it’s in the red zone [or] the low red, you can’t wait for your number to be called and make a play for your team to put points on the board.”

Bowles knows the importance of having his tight ends contribute inside the 20-yard line. When you add guys like Rudolph and Brate to a cast that includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage and now Julio Jones, opposing defenses are bound to leave someone open. And with a quarterback like Tom Brady, the Bucs can expose that.

“The tight ends get a lot of balls because they are doubling the wide receivers, so that’s a natural thing” Bowles said Wednesday. “These two guys [new additions Rudolph and Jones] are good football players in their own right, whether it’s in the field or in the red zone.”

Bucs Will Incorporate Rudolph Into Downfield Passing Game

Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Rudolph and Brate have made most of their money in the NFL as red-zone threats. But the Bucs run an offense that also gets the tight end involved down the field. Gronkowski was a master of getting to the second level of the defense, and that’s something Rudolph looks forward to working on now that he’s with Tampa Bay.

“I’m extremely excited for that, too,” Rudolph said. “[I’m built] a lot like Rob – bigger guys, longer strides. At times, those shorter, quicker routes, that’s not stuff that we do well. It’s hard for us bigger guys to get momentum and to get speed. So, a lot of those downfield routes give us the opportunity to pick up speed.

“[I] probably ran more of those today than I have in a long time. It’s a ton of fun and I can’t stress enough how much I’m excited to just be a small part of this offense and do everything I can to help us move the chains, score points and win games.”

Rudolph hasn’t always been a deep threat, averaging 9.9 yards per catch over his 11-year career. His career high of 11.9 yards per catch came in 2020, his final year with Minnesota. For comparison, Gronkowski averaged 14.3 yards per catch over his two seasons with the Bucs, posting a high of 14.6 last year. But developing a chemistry with Brady will help Rudolph develop in the downfield aspect of his game. That’s a relationship that is already building, the Bucs’ new tight end said.

“I already told him last night after meetings, ‘When you get sick of me, just tell me. I’ll give you your space,'” Rudolph said. “It’s one thing to know what your job is, but then it’s another to know the nuances. Yeah, the lines on the paper may say this, but this is how Tom wants it.

“Today, we had a couple of missed opportunities. I’ve run something a certain way my whole career, and he wants it a little bit different. And he’s the first one to come over and hit me on the head and tell me, ‘Dude, we’ll get that. Don’t worry about it.'”