Brate (back) is expected to be available for the Buccaneers' offseason program, ESPN.com's Jenna Laine reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brate ended up missing the Bucs' Week 17 game against the Panthers while dealing with a small fracture in the transverse process of his spine, but the tight end's agent confirmed Wednesday that his client is "good to go" for OTAs in April. The 25-year-old submitted in breakout season in 2016, supplanting Ausitn Seferian-Jenkins as the team's starting tight end and hauling in 57 catches for 660 yards, trailing only Pro Bowl wideout Mike Evans in both categories for the team. The Buccaneers have already re-signed Brate to an exclusive rights free-agent deal that will keep him in the fold for 2017, so look for him to remain highly involved in the Tampa Bay passing attack for at least another year.