Before he became the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach last year, Liam Coen shined as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. He was pivotal in elevating that offense and getting quarterback Baker Mayifeld to play like an MVP candidate.
Coen worked similar magic during his maiden campaign in Duval County. The Jags went from 13 losses in 2024 to 13 wins. Franchise QB Trevor Lawrence went from giant question mark to looking downright elite in the second half of the season.
There's one particular, somewhat under-the-radar pass-catcher hitting free agency who Coen coached in Tampa. He'd be a great fit for the Jags, who need to be prudent with how they spend if they want to retain All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd.
Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton may give Jaguars another big-time weapon
Fox Sports' Greg Auman created a long list of the top 100 free agents and where their best potential fits would be. Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton was projected to land in Jacksonville, with the following breakdown from Auman:
"Otton, 26, has played a ton for the Bucs, with at least 92% of offensive snaps in each of the last three years. He's averaged 52 catches and 500 yards in Tampa, but he's also totaled only 11 touchdowns, getting his lone score of 2025 in the season finale. The Bucs have precious little else at the position, so if they let him walk rather than pay $8 million a year or more, they'd have to invest in a proper replacement, either in free agency with limited options or in the draft. Jacksonville? A Liam Coen reunion might make sense."
Worth noting that Auman used to be all over the Bucs' beat for the Tampa Bay Times. Safe to say he's pretty plugged-in to that organization. That makes me think this isn't necessarily mere speculation, as many "free-agent fits" pieces tend to be. Like this one, where I stump for Jacksonville to replace Travis Etienne Jr. with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III primarily based on cost-efficient merits.
Sure, there's logical dot-connecting when you're trying to forecast any free agent going to any new team, but Auman's connection to Tampa gives this Otton-to-Jags concept more legs.
Even if this prospective match isn't on the table, why wouldn't Otton want to come to Jacksonville? It sure feels like the Jags are in better position to contend for a Super Bowl than the reeling Bucs, who blew the NFC South division last season and have Mayfield entering a contract year.
In 14 games under Coen's watch in 2024, Otton recorded 59 receptions for 600 yards and four TDs. He turns 27 next month, and PFF projects Otton to earn a three-year, $32 million contract on the open market.
Otton is excellent when deployed as an extra pass protector, ranking sixth among tight ends in 2025 with a 71.3 PFF grade. Meanwhile, Jacksonville's incumbent TE1, Brenton Strange, was fourth with a 74.1 run blocking grade.
What a nice complement Otton and Strange would be to each other. That said, signing Otton would almost ensure Strange wouldn't stay with the Jags once he hits free agency next offseason.
Then again, who knows? It all depends on how Jacksonville manages its tight cap this year, and whether Lloyd does, in fact, stay put. Signing Otton on, say, a two-year deal with an out in Year 2 (via not as much guaranteed money) could be the ideal compromise.
For those skeptical of this whole idea of Otton to Duval, imagine the ceiling Trevor Lawrence might have with Otton and Strange at tight end, along with a receiving corps consisting of Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers. Sounds pretty good on paper! Never mind with such a great play-caller in Coen dialing it all up.