The NFL news cycle got a rush of adrenaline on Tuesday afternoon as it was announced that former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is planning to come out of retirement, and wished to be traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to reunite with his old teammate, Tom Brady. The deal is reportedly done.
As a Washington Redskins-centric website, our first thought on the matter was how it could affect the Redskins. At first glance, the addition of a veteran tight end to a roster in Tampa Bay with two serviceable options at that position means that one player will likely have to go, be it O.J. Howard or Cameron Brate. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bucs don’t currently have any pending trade offers for one of their players, but the phone is surely going to start ringing any minute now.
On top of the Bucs surplus of TE’s, you have to consider their situation at left tackle. Donovan Smith is currently the starting depth chart, but the team might lack confidence in his ability to protect an immobile QB like Brady. As an experienced team who has a legitimate chance to make a run at the Super Bowl in 2020, adding a veteran player like Trent Williams to the second-most important position on the offense would be extremely smart.
So could a potential trade between the Redskins and Buccaneers be lined up? It is highly-possible but would require a lot more than just a single player-for-player deal. And at that, the Redskins would have to decide which TE they would want from Tampa, Howard or Brate? Let’s break them down a bit.
O.J. Howard is considered one of the more talented TEs in the NFL, though he has yet to reach his potential yet. At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Howard has a large frame and can get up and down the field with great quickness. In his three years with the Bucs, he has a total of 12 touchdowns and over 1,400 yards. Brate, on the other hand, is less of an athletic specimen, standing at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, though he might be more reliable. In his six years in the NFL, he has 27 touchdowns and over 2,100 yards receiving.
Neither of these players would likely stack up in an even trade with Williams, so it wouldn’t be shocking to hear that the Redskins ask for a mid-round pick in return for sending a seven-time Pro-Bowler their way. While Brate has more production in the NFL, Howard is easily the better player in my mind, and his ceiling is higher. If I were Washington, I would ask for Howard and a fourth- or fifth-round pick in return for Trent. If the Redskins would rather have Brate, I’d ask for their third-round pick to go along with him.
No matter what the Redskins get in return for Williams, as long as it’s a TE who can serve some meaningful minutes in the coming seasons, it will be considered a win. Getting Williams out of the locker room and off the books is payment enough, everything else is just icing on the cake.
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