Cameron Brate Injury: Buccaneers TE Placed on IR with Injured Back

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a back injury. 

The team announced running back Russell Hansbrough would replace Brate on the roster.  

Head coach Dirk Koetter said Brate isn't expected to require surgery, per Roy Cummings of Fan Rag Sports.

Through 15 games this season, Brate hauled in 57 catches for 660 yards and eight touchdowns, as he became a reliable target for second-year quarterback Jameis Winston. 

The third-year man out of Harvard took full advantage of his opportunity to see some playing time in 2016. With the release of Austin Seferian-Jenkins after a DUI in late September, Brate became the starting tight end beginning in Week 3. 

In that Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams, Brate hauled in two touchdowns, quickly emerging as a viable red-zone option. 

It was clear early on that Winston and Brate were clicking, as Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken told Scott Smith of the team's official website the two had built a good rapport.

Now with Brate sidelined, veteran Brandon Myers will see a bump in snaps and have another opportunity to turn his career around. 

In 2012 and 2013 with the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants, respectively, Myers put up 1,328 combined receiving yards. In the following two seasons, he had just 317. 

Winston will try to build the same kind of chemistry with Myers that he had with Brate, but the Buccaneers' red-zone offense might struggle in the process.