By Jordan Long
The Buccaneers have placed tight end O.J. Howard on the trading block. Tampa Bay would like to deal him and receive something back even if it is draft picks this year or next year. Right now Tampa Bay has 7 selections in this years’ NFL draft which starts on April 23rd.
Howard has been with Tampa Bay since they selected him in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He hasn’t been the tight end they hoped for. Howard totaled 1,456 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in three seasons. When Howard catches the football, those are for 1st downs or longer. His average yards per catch is 15.5 yards.
His biggest problem is holding onto the football in the open field. Tight ends need to protect the football so they don’t fumble when they run. Howard can’t seem to do that. When he runs, defenders knock the football out for fumbles. He has 4 fumbles and lost 3 of them, far too many.
The Buccaneers would like to receive something back for Howard even if it is a 4th to 5th round draft pick this year and a late draft pick next year. He may be dealt to another team early next week before the draft.
Howard could be a steal for a team. He is young at 25 years old and has a lot of football left in him. He is going to make around $3.5 million this season which is not a lot of money for a team to take on. Howard might be able to help a team that needs a pass catching tight end even though his numbers aren’t there.
Teams may start calling Tampa Bay to see what they would want in return for Howard. If the price isn’t too high then make an agreement. Howard should be on another team that could use his talent better. If Tampa Bay can’t find a trade partner they could cut him. It would cost them around $3.5 million in dead cap space for this year which isn’t much.
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