O.J. Howard is staying after Bucs pick up fifth-year option
By Rob Leeds
After a period of uncertainty regarding his future, the Buccaneers have picked up O.J. Howard’s fifth-year option, keeping him in Tampa Bay.
Similarly to Jameis Winston, O.J. Howard has illustrated some of the biggest struggles that fall on players of a team that is continuously experiencing coaching turnover.
Howard is the most athletic tight end in the NFL by a mile, and his ceiling is incredibly high. Despite this, due to his misuse and underproduction in the past, he was mostly seen as a trade asset leading up to the draft.
There was some relevance to the idea of trading the insanely-athletic tight end, but the Buccaneers have put that thought to bed when they announced today that they are picking up Howards fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
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O.J. Howard will now remain in Tampa Bay through 2021, and Tom Brady has a wealth of talent at the tight end position for the remainder of his duration in pewter.
Keeping O.J. Howard on the roster was the best move for the Bucs to make. It seemed unlikely that he was going to bring any real compensation in a trade, and letting a talent like that walk away for a fourth or fifth-round pick feels wrong.
The best move that the Buccaneers can make is to find now the best way to utilize Howard in a role that maximizes his value. The former Alabama tight end is one of the most explosive at his position in the NFL and needs to be involved in the passing game.
Tampa Bay has the talent at tight end so that O.J. can play meaningful snaps split out from the rest of the line as a matchup nightmare against anyone in the league.
Howard is also a great blocker and will still do that a substantial amount in Bruce Arians’ offense, but he shines catching passes, and it is lost on no one how much Tom Brady leans on his tight ends.
Next. Tom Brady is a clear MVP candidate with the Buccaneers. dark
O.J. Howard could see career years statistically over the next two years if the Buccaneer coaching staff can find a way to use him to his fullest potential. Regardless of his level of play, the Buccaneers aren’t parting with another former first-round pick just yet.