The NFL draft came and went, and despite rumors that Bucs tight end O.J. Howard could be moved in a trade, especially after Tampa Bay acquired Rob Gronkowski in a trade with the Patriots, the former first-round pick remains on the roster.
With their top three tight ends accounting for nearly $20 million in salary next season, the Bucs could very well decide to move a tight end down the road. And, in his latest column predicting the player most likely to be cut or traded by his team, Bill Barnwell pegged Cameron Brate as that player for the Bucs.
Per Barnwell:
“I thought it made more sense for the Bucs to move on from the more-expensive Brate as opposed to former first-round pick O.J. Howard. Tampa general manager Jason Licht has since gone on to say he wasn’t looking to deal Howard, and while that could be a negotiating ploy, the draft came and went without a Howard deal. The Bucs could still keep all three tight ends, but as veterans who might help their defense come free, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tampa clears out cap space with a Brate trade.”
I think the Bucs will wait and see whether Brate or Howard emerge as Brady’s second option at tight end. Howard did exceptionally well as a blocker last year, so the Bucs may be more interested in keeping him around for that. We’ll have a better idea of how this team will look once we see them on the field together. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait much longer.
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