"We're going to even out those reps with the first group with (Cameron Brake) and (Austin Seferian-Jenkins)," Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said after watching Saturday's tape. "Austin's worked his way right back in there, and when he got moved down the depth chart, all you can ask a player when he gets moved down is that he competes and does better and tries to get back up there, and he's done that.
"The catch in the second half that Austin made on the 'bow-out' -- there's just not a whole lot of guys that can make that play. He's earned a chance to get back and work more with the first group, so we should give it to him.”
The Bucs have recently been employing not just two-tight-end sets -- which also feature 6-6 Luke Stocker, the team's best run-blocker, or hybrid fullback/tight end/jack-of-all-trades Danny Vitale -- but also three-tight-end sets, where Brate and Seferian-Jenkins will both be out on the field together as passing threats.
We're still not as high on ASJ as we were early in the offseason, before a couple of practice blowups and glowing comments about Brate from the team's coaching staff, but it's easier to see a path to TE1-type status if Seferian-Jenkins continues to do and say the right things.
Buccaneers news
