O.J. Howard has experienced an up and down career with Tampa Bay. Could the Buccaneers look to move on from their first-round pick tight end?
The 2017 draft class for the Buccaneers left a lot to be desired. Chris Godwin was a phenomenal pick, but O.J. Howard is the only other player from that group that is still on the roster and able to play for the Bucs.
Howard is one of the most physically talented tight ends in the entire NFL but has consistently failed to play up to his first round stats. That has been a reoccurring problem for the former Alabama player and it currently shows no signs of turning around.
Instead of continuing to wait on production that may never come, the Buccaneers could try to cut their losses and recoup some draft capital.
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This would not be a popular move. Many fans love Howard, but in the end, the numbers don’t back up keeping a player who is about to become far more expensive.
O.J. Howard is the type of player that has a massive ceiling but can’t seem to play up to that level. Howard is bigger, faster, and more athletic than any of the top tight ends in the NFL, yet his production has never come close to theirs.
A large part of this is not based on Howard’s skills, which are generally undisputed, but on his usage by the organizations that he has been a part of. Alabama and the Buccaneers have never given O.J. Howard the number of targets that he can effectively maintain, and that shows up on the stat sheet.
The biggest part of Howard’s game is big plays. He is the most explosive tight end in the league in that category and it is inexcusable for him to average less than four targets per game as he did last season.
O.J. Howard was used more as a blocker in 2019 than as a matchup nightmare in the passing game in Bruce Arians’ offense and for that reason, the Buccaneers should look at a potential trade. The Bucs are getting a minimal return on their investment by using him in this way, and Bruce Arians would be better off finding a tight end that better fits his scheme.
Arians does not use tight ends enough in the passing game to warrant keeping Howard on the roster. If the Buccaneers can get a third-round draft pick or better in a trade, they should pull the trigger.
This does not mean that Howard wouldn’t flourish with Tom Brady, because he likely would see an uptick in production, but even with slightly better numbers, he will still primarily be a blocker.
The Buccaneers could likely find a decent market for O.J. Howard. This move would mean the departure of another talented player from Tampa Bay, but in the end, it would likely help out both parties.
The Buccaneers would be able to find a new starting tight end to pair up with Cameron Brate that fits the system better, and Howard could find a new team that will properly use his skillset.
It’s not an easy pill to swallow, but keeping O.J. Howard on the Buccaneers is not beneficial for either side at this point, and a trade would be the best option.