The Bucs are hurting at tight end. Starter Rob Gronkowski will miss his sixth game on Sunday, and will probably miss a couple more before he’s back. Cam Brate and O.J. Howard have been adequate fill-ins, but neither provides Gronkowski’s contested catch or blocking ability.

So, of course, general manager Jason Licht made a move. On Wednesday, the Bucs’ shot-caller nabbed veteran tight end Darren Fells to fill in for Gronkowski over the next couple weeks.

Fells is in his eighth season in the NFL at 35 years old. A former basketball player, Fells has curiously made his mark in the NFL as a blocker more than as a receiver. That doesn’t fit the mold of most basketball converts, but Fells is a little bit different.

“[He’s a] veteran guy I’ve been very, very aware of and known for a long time,” head coach Bruce Arians said. “He’s a big target, like ‘Gronk’ (Rob Gronkowski). Just a big guy that blocks and can catch.”

At 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, Fells has always had the size and nastiness to play in the trenches. He’s been one of the best pass-protecting tight ends in the NFL for most of his career. The Bucs could use some of that, as Howard has struggled to replace Gronkowski’s prowess in that area. Fells has the size, strength and technique to hold his own on the edge.

“It’s crazy,” Arians said. “He was a basketball player, but he wasn’t afraid to put his face in the fan. Most basketball players, they don’t like it in there where it’s grimy. They want to be out in space. But he saw a future and worked his tail off. Made some big catches for us, too.”

Fells was with Arians for four years in Arizona, so he’ll pick up the offense quickly enough. With the Bucs short on bodies at wide receiver, expect to see the team operate out of 12 and 13 personnel more often on Sunday. That means Fells could replace Josh Wells in the Bucs’ run-heavy packages, giving the team another passing option without losing anything in the run game.

But don’t sleep on Fells in the passing game either. Obviously Fells isn’t a game-breaking athlete, but he’s got great hands and the ability to make catches outside his frame. Fells’ basketball background becomes most apparent when the ball is in the air. He hasn’t dropped a pass since 2019, and he caught 11 touchdowns from 2019-2020. The majority of those came in the red zone, where he’ll be a target for Brady in the coming weeks.

The best part about adding Fells is that he knows the system and can fit in seamlessly. He’s made a career out of being a well-rounded, reliable player for whatever team he’s been on. Even on the hapless Lions, Fells has been the NFL’s highest graded pass protecting tight end this season, per PFF.

He won’t be as dynamic as Gronkowski, but Fells is about as good a pick-up as a team could hope for during Week 10 of the NFL season. The veteran should be a quick study and can be an asset to the Bucs in the run game, pass protection and as a receiver in the red zone. Great pickup by Licht and Co. once again.