O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You would think that Tom Brady would want as many big, athletic tight ends as possible given his history of success with talents like Rob Gronkowski, but Howard might be available for the right price. Tight ends have never been featured in head coach Bruce Arians’ offense, and while he might change things dramatically in 2020, odds are stronger that Howard will continue to be neglected (he drew a career-high 53 targets last year).

That’s not the best use of the former 19th overall draft pick. While Howard might not play often in New Orleans either (at least right away), the long-term projection is much easier to appreciate. Jared Cook, the leading receiver at the position, is entering the final year of his contract and is already north of 30. His backup and blocking specialist, Josh Hill, also turns 30 this year and will be a free agent after the 2021 season.

Adding Howard now would give the Saints a great candidate to learn Cook’s playbook and take over next year. In the meantime, he can run many of the same vertical and crossing routes that Taysom Hill has shredded teams with, allowing Hill to focus his time on backing up Drew Brees and maybe becoming the face of the franchise.

While it’s unclear just what sort of pick it would take to get the Buccaneers to trade Howard away (and to a division rival, no less) it’s a situation the Saints should explore.

The verdict: Saints should be in on Howard

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