The rumors surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and tight end OJ Howard have been intermittent, but they’ve also been persistent. A former top 20 overall selection in the NFL Draft, Howard was well on his way to being a standout at the tight end position before injury derailed his sophomore season in 2018. In 2019, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought head coach Bruce Arians into the picture, a decision that ultimately hindered Howard’s effectiveness as a receiver and has put into question his fit with the team long-term.
Would Miami serve as a sensible destination? After all, Miami has created something of a habit out of hoarding first-round draft selections that have struggled to live up to expectations. And while the Dolphins are definitely in a different chapter of their team building process than they were a year ago, adding talent all around is still generally the Dolphins’ top priority.
As tempting as the suggestion might be, there are some hurdles that loom between Miami being a favorable landing spot for Howard via trade. First and foremost among them is the Dolphins’ new offense under Chan Gailey isn’t expected to be a very heavy in two TE personnel groupings. Had Miami retained offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea to run Miami’s 2019 offense, Howard would be seen as a slam dunk to step into a role with the Dolphins. But the Dolphins are expected to space the field, not congest it. And because of that, Howard appears to be in direct conflict with TE Mike Gesicki for snaps as the flex TE.
This isn’t to say Miami couldn’t find a combination and blend that works, but Miami should be encouraged by the development of TE Mike Gesicki in year two of his own career — adding Howard into that mix and having them compete for reps might feel like a bit of overkill.
When you consider the rest of the needs on the Dolphins’ roster, the cost to acquire Howard (presumably a 2nd-round pick in 2020) and the personnel congestion Howard’s arrival would bring, that’t exactly what the proposition of trading for Howard becomes: overkill. Right player, wrong time for the Dolphins.