Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard is available through the trade market, according to former NFL executive Mike Lombardi. Lombardi expects the Buccaneers to attempt to trade Howard before or during the NFL Draft.
“I [got] a phone call — from somebody in the league who said, ‘Look, I don’t think Howard’s going to be on the (Buccaneers this season). They’re trying to trade him,'” Lombardi said. “They wanted a second-round pick for him at the trading deadline (that) no one would give them. Howard’s got a great name, but I think there’s an instinctive issue going on. I think he’s going to be available. It would not surprise me if he was traded on draft day or the day before.”
The New England Patriots have yet to address their glaring hole at the tight end position and this could be an opportunity to pounce. New England currently has Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo on the roster — who both proved incapable of being a threat to opposing defenses last season. Since Rob Gronkowski retired, the Patriots still haven’t found a player who could get close to replicating his production.
The Patriots have 12 picks in the draft this year and three picks in the third round alone. No one was willing to give Tampa Bay a second-round pick for Howard, so Bill Belichick could use that as leverage to potentially finesse two lower-round draft picks.
Howard wouldn’t jump into New England’s offense without Tom Brady and become the next Gronkowski — but he’ll come a lot closer than the other candidates. He spent three seasons in Tampa Bay and hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he’s averaging a little less than 500 yards per season — tacking on 34 catches for 459 yards and a touchdown last season.
He was drafted in the first round in 2017 and still has the ability to break through and find his way the in the league. The free agency market also dried up pretty quickly, leaving New England with the draft or trade scenarios as the only way to get a decent tight end. This year’s draft isn’t loaded with starting-caliber tight ends like last season, making it more pressing to get a veteran guy.
Whether Jarrett Stidham or another quarterback is at the helm for New England in 2020, they’ll need a reliable tight end to keep the chains moving — Howard could be the guy.