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The Cincinnati Bengals should have an eye on the fact the New England Patriots just traded Rob Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Why? Now the Buccaneers might have an interest in moving on from O.J. Howard.
Howard, the 19th pick in 2017, hasn’t met expectations for the Buccaneers. With Gronkowski reuniting with Tom Brady and Cameron Brate on a big-money contract, the Buccaneers might be willing to part with Howard. And he’s been the subject of trade rumors recently.
So why should the Bengals have an interest in Howard? For one, he’d probably come cheap during the draft if the Bucs just want to move on. And speaking of cheap, he’s still got at least one more year on a rookie contract.
Granted, tight end isn’t the biggest need in Cincinnati right now. But why not add Howard to a room with reliable veteran C.J. Uzomah and second-round pick Drew Sample?
After all, it wasn’t long ago the Bucs were widely praised for nailing down Howard because of his upside. There is always a chance a new locale and coaching staff could unlock that potential.
If the price is a bargain in the mid-round or later range, the Bengals could swap an unknown commodity for a former top-20 player who still has a chance to help a Joe Burrow-led offense.
More aggressive than usual this offseason, the Bengals could benefit from at least reaching out to make an offer on Howard for the chance to add dramatically more upside to an offensive skill room.
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