Tag: oj howard stats

Are the Bucs looking to trade O.J. Howard?

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi said that the Buccaneers may be looking to trade tight end O.J. Howard before or during the NFL draft.

When Tom Brady decided to make the Buccaneers his new team, the thought of him throwing deep balls to Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin had Bucs fans and fantasy football owners salivating. But Brady’s arrival also had people buzzing about tight end O.J. Howard.

Howard, the team’s first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, has failed to live up to expectations in his three seasons in Tampa Bay, and found himself in coach Bruce Arians’ doghouse early last season. But, as most people know, Brady had some of his best statistical seasons throwing to tight end Rob Gronkowski in New England, and the Patriots even reached out to the Bucs at the trade deadline last season to inquire about Howard after Gronkowski retired last offseason.

It seemed like Howard would finally get the chance to reach his potential with Brady in the mix. However, it appears as though he might not get the chance to play with the six-time Super Bowl champion.

Speaking on the “GM Shuffle” podcast, former NFL executive Michael Lombardi said the Bucs may be looking to trade Howard before or during the upcoming NFL draft.

Per Lombardi:

“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.’ [The Bucs] 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 news might come as a shock to many. While Howard had very pedestrian numbers last season, 34 receptions for 459 yards and one touchdown, he did do well as a blocking tight end. 

Bruce Arians’ offense hasn’t exactly been a tight end friendly system, but remember, one of Brady’s stipulations for joining a new team was having a say in the offense, and we all know how well he performed with tight ends in New England.

Unless the Buccaneers can get at least a second-round pick for Howard, the smart move may be to hold onto him and see how he does with Brady. If things don’t work out, Tampa Bay can ship him out before the trade deadline in the fall.

This story will certainly be one to focus on in the lead up to next week’s draft.

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Adam Rank’s 2017 NFL draft do-over has Bucs passing on O.J. Howard for a RB

Adam Rank over at NFL.com did a re-do of the 2017 NFL draft and had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making a surprise move at the 19th spot.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers know that their Pro Bowl wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will provide Tom Brady with the star power on offense he lacked in New England last year. But, the team is also hoping Brady can help make a star out of former first-round pick O.J. Howard.

The former Alabama star was seen as a rare combination of size and speed when he entered the 2017 NFL draft. Unfortunately, Howard hasn’t turned into the game-changing tight end the Bucs had hope for. At least, not yet.

Remember, the Patriots inquired about Howard at the trade deadline last season, hoping the tight end could be an admirable substitute for the retired Rob Gronkowski. The Bucs said no at the time, which of course seems like a great decision now that Brady is in Tampa Bay. While Howard may very well be in for a breakout season in 2020, Adam Rank over at NFL.com thinks the Bucs would pass on him in a redo of the 2017 draft.

In his latest piece, Rank does a draft do-over for the ’17 class. At the top, he has the Cleveland Browns drafting Patrick Mahomes first overall instead of Myles Garrett, an idea that likely would’ve seemed ludicrous at the time. At the 19th spot, Rank has the Bucs passing on Howard in favor of running back Dalvin Cook, who eventually went in the second round to the Minnesota Vikings.

Per Rank:

“The Bucs went into this draft with a huge need at running back, and it’s one they have still yet to address three years later (notwithstanding the attempt to do so via Ronald Jones). Selecting Cook takes care of this problem. I was in the NFL Network newsroom when this draft was going down, and the Bucs fans in attendance were going mad, hoping that the Florida State kid was going to end up in Tampa. He did not. Well, at least not until now.”

Cook would’ve been a great addition to the Bucs’ backfield, but you’ve got to believe the Bucs were hoping the addition of Howard would help Jameis Winston’s development. Looks like things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Hopefully, Brady can make this Howard pick look like a steal next year if he can get the tight end involved in the offense.

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Why you should ‘proceed with caution’ with O.J. Howard in fantasy football in 2020

See why Jenna Laine of ESPN believes fantasy football owners should be cautious when it comes to drafting Bucs TE O.J. Howard in 2020.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard didn’t have the breakout third season many fans, and fantasy owners, were hoping for. The former Alabama star and 2017 first-round pick struggled to find a niche in Bruce Arians’ new offense, even finding himself in the coach’s doghouse early in the season.

It remains to be seen whether Tampa Bay keeps Howard on the roster this offseason, but you have to imagine they’ll give him at least one more season to prove himself. After all, you don’t find tight ends with his size and strength just waiting on the sideline.

While keeping him is a decision the Bucs organization is going to have to make on their own, fantasy football owners will have to decide how to approach drafting or picking up Howard in 2020. As Jenna Laine of ESPN explains, they should be cautious.

Per Laine:

“It’s baffling what happened with Howard. He looked so solid in camp but he made some inexplicable mistakes last season. Based on conversations with him, it was a combination of a new role in a new offense, some early mistakes, the trade talk and a new staff trying to figure him out in a system not known to be tight-end-friendly. Proceed with caution.”

Howard may have struggled statistically last season, but he found a way to be an effective blocker. The Bucs just need to find a way to utilize his skill-set better. If they can, Howard could be a steal in fantasy if someone decides to take a chance on him early.

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Which Buccaneers player could use a fresh start this offseason?

Find out which Tampa Bay Buccaneers player ESPN thinks could benefit most from a change of scenery this offseason.

This is going to be one of the most important offseasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in recent memory. With a number of free agents ready to hit the open market, the Bucs will need to determine which players are priority to keep and which can be shown the door.

For some players, a change of scenery might do them some good, and in ESPN’s latest look at 32 players who could use a fresh start this offseason, it’s no surprise that Tampa Bay tight end O.J. Howard found himself on the list.

Per Jenna Laine:

“He struggled throughout his first season in Bruce Arians’ offense, which has been notorious for not getting the tight end involved vertically as much as Dirk Koetter’s did. The Bucs did entertain offers for Howard before the trade deadline. Going to an offense that utilizes him differently might be what he needs to rejuvenate his career.”

One team that reportedly inquired about Howard around the time of the trade deadline was the New England Patriots, who were desperately trying to find a tight end replacement for Rob Gronkowski. The Bucs told New England “no” and kept Howard on the roster.

While Howard did not have a great year statistically, he did do well in the blocking game. Perhaps Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich can find a way to utilize Howard more in the passing attack. He’s a rare combination of size and athleticism. It might be worth keeping Howard around for one more year at least.

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This O.J. Howard stat proves he was an effective tight end this year

Despite not putting up big numbers, Bucs tight end O.J. Howard was still effective this year.

I realize the title of this post may seem sarcastic to some, and they wouldn’t be wrong to have that initial thought. After all, O.J. Howard was supposed to have a breakout year in his third season, much like the one was saw Chris Godwin have.

Unfortunately, Howard struggled to find a niche in Bruce Arians’ offense, at least when it comes to personal statistics. Howard had just 34 receptions for 459 yards and one touchdown. His best catch of the year didn’t even come during an NFL game, but rather an MLB game. Howard even found himself in Arians’ doghouse early in the season for his lackluster play.

But, according to ESPN, Howard did a great job in one particular area this year. In their 2019 advanced statistics awards, ESPN said that according to the stats, Howard was the league’s best pass-blocking tight end.

“Bucs coach Bruce Arians never relied on Howard all that much as a receiver this season. But the young tight end did play a role in the passing game with a 98% PBWR (pass block win rate).”

That’s a big accomplishment for sure, but I’m sure Howard wishes he could have been used more as a pass catcher than a blocker. Still, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when you consider Arians said this about his tight ends with the Arizona Cardinals back in 2015:

“We pay Larry (Fitzgerald) and those guys too much money to throw it to the tight ends. They’re here to block.”

Looks like Howard did well in that regard at least.

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A look at O.J. Howard’s route trees in Bruce Arians’ offense vs. Dirk Koetter’s

Take a look at the route trees of Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard in his last two offensive systems.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard has had a rough go of things this season, his first year playing under head coach Bruce Arians.

Howard, who was put on blast by Arians earlier this year for his poor play, caused an interception in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, juggling the ball against his body and behind his back before it was eventually picked off. For the season, the third-year tight end out of Alabama has just 17 receptions for 223 yards and a touchdown.

So, what’s been the issue?

Well, looking at Howard’s route trees in Arians’ offense compared to former coach and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s, it’s clear the two systems are utilizing the tight end very differently.

Take a look.

Arians had this to say about the tight ends of the Arizona Cardinals back in 2015, when he was the team’s head coach: “We pay Larry (Fitzgerald) and those guys too much money to throw it to the tight ends. They’re here to block.”

You would’ve hoped that Arians and Byron Leftwich would’ve seen the potential in Howard and utilized him more in the offense as a pass catcher.

It’ll be interesting to see how the team proceeds with Howard at the end of the season. Remember, the New England Patriots inquired about Howard last month before the trade deadline, but were told no by Tampa Bay.

Maybe they’ll change their tune in the offseason.

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Twitter goes insane over O.J. Howard’s crazy turnover against the Saints

Well, you can’t blame this interception on Jameis Winston.

Well, you can’t blame this interception on Jameis Winston.

The much-maligned Buccaneers quarterback who entered today’s game against the New Orleans Saints having thrown 14 interceptions on the year collected his 15th in the first quarter, through no fault of his own, however.

Take a look at this insane play, where Winston hits tight end O.J. Howard who fumbles the ball on his body only to have it intercepted by New Orleans.

New Orleans would score on the very next play with Drew Brees hitting wide receiver Michael Thomas for a 16-yard touchdown that put the Saints up 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Suffice it to say, Twitter went crazy over Howard’s careless turnover. Take a look at what they had to say.

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Bruce Arians liked what he saw from TE O.J. Howard on Sunday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians talked about tight end O.J. Howard and Sunday’s big win over the Arizona Cardinals.

It seems a little home cooking was just what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to get back on the winning track.

After playing away from Raymond James Stadium since Week 3, the Bucs returned home in Week 10 and halted their four-game skid by taking down the Arizona Cardinals, 30-27.

While quarterback Jameis Winston had two more interceptions, he did have one touchdown pass — to tight end O.J. Howard of all people.

For Howard, who missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury, it was his first touchdown of the season. Hopefully, Sunday’s performance (four receptions for 47 yards and the score) is a sign of things to come in the second half of the season.

Head coach Bruce Arians, who put Howard on blast earlier this season for his poor play, talked today about Howard’s performance on Sunday.

Take a look.

The Bucs will play at home again in Week 11 when the New Orleans Saints come to visit.

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