There are two things you need to know about Tom Brady — he’s a winner, and he usually gets what he wants. The new Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback spent nine of his last 10 seasons working with the reliable hands of Rob Gronkowski. The two combined for over 7,000 receiving yards and 72 scores before the 30-year-old tight end decided to walk away from the game with a Super Bowl title in 2018.
This week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the New England Patriots traded the five-time Pro Bowler and a seventh-round selection to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The fact that Brady was able to add his longtime weapon in Gronkowski, means that the Buccaneers have now put the rest of the NFC South and the conference as a whole on notice.
But what does this mean for current Tampa Bay tight end O.J. Howard? Is he now on the trading block, and if so, what is his current asking price?
Howard’s value on the trade block
The former first-round pick hasn’t lived up to his 19th overall selection. Partially because both Dirk Koetter and Bruce Arians have never expanded his role beyond a blocker and limited his possession count in snaps. But also because of injuries — including a season where he missed six games.
Welcome to Tampa, @RobGronkowski 😎#GoBucs pic.twitter.com/WM0tLyTCKk
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 22, 2020
The 25-year-old Alabama product has the potential to be a rare talent at the position. Three seasons of sub-600 yards and only 12 career touchdowns won’t have teams offering prime picks for just potential. Still, according to The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi, the team was shopping Howard long before No.87 became their No.1 weapon.
“I think Howard’s got a great name, but I think there’s an instinctive issue going on,” Lombardi said. “I think he’s going to be available.”
Alright, what’s the price?
There’s plenty of positives when looking at Howard’s overall game. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end is a mismatch for top cover linebackers when playing in the open field. Throw in the brute strength that wowed scouts in 2017, and Howard is a complete package when it comes to well-rounded tight ends.
The potential is there; the production isn’t. Howard’s best season came in 2018 when he hauled 34 passes for 565 yards and five scores in 10 games. His 2019 season saw the same number of catches, but only one touchdown in 14 active appearances.
But Howard’s numbers didn’t just drop in scoring; they also dwindled in yards. Over his first two seasons, he averaged 16.6 yards per catch. Last season? 13.3 on 54 targets.
The writing was on the wall for Howard when Arians addressed his issues last season. Sure, it wasn’t certain, but the straight-shooting coach is fairly easy to understand.
“It’s hard to say [what’s wrong],” Arians said. “He’s a talented, talented guy, but it’s not showing up on Sundays.”
There is a team I know with 12 Draft picks that could use OJ Howard. pic.twitter.com/gLlbnmaBFF
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) April 21, 2020
Talent is the keyword. With two years potentially left on his rookie contract (he’ll need to opt-in), Howard could be a cheaper, yet promising player in a new offense to the tune of roughly $3.5 million.
Still, a team will have to be willing to make the deal for Howard to be moved. It’ll take a day two selection at the minimum for the young tight end to be moved. And with a tight end class that could be laughable when all is said and done, teams wanting to address the position might be willing to cough up the dough to land a commodity like Howard.
So, who would be willing to move up?
Top destinations for Howard
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay was a game away from heading back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2011. First-year head coach Matt LaFleur and new GM Brian Gutekunst played aggressive in free agency and it paid off with a surge in the form of defensive success.
The same nagging problem still lies ahead for Aaron Rodgers as he enters his 16th season with the organization — the lack of a second option. Davante Adams has proven his worth as a top-10 receiver, but the team will need to add another weapon on the outside and upgrade at tight end if they want to make another run for the Lombardi. Jace Sternberger was a third-round selection, but there’s little to prove he’ll be the x-factor tight end. Howard has more upside and would be a quality addition over Mercedes Lewis, who’s only tallied 18 catches in two seasons.
With three picks late, one of those, plus their third-round selection could be the asking price for a potential deal for Howard.
Trade: Packers trade 94th pick, 208th pick for TE OJ Howard and 241st pick
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have already announced to Joe Burrow that he will be the top pick. Now, it’s time to add weapons that make him productive during the rookie campaign.
A.J. Green will be back on the franchise tag while Tyler Boyd has transformed into a reliable No.2 option. In the spread offense that Zac Taylor will hope to see flourish, John Ross can no longer be considered a safe bet and Joe Mixon, although productive, could be holding out for a longer deal.
With Tyler Eifert out of the picture, the team will turn to Drew Sample, a blocking tight end, or C.J. Uzomah as the top bet. And in a weaker tight end class that could have the first player going at the start of the third round, perhaps it’s best to trade that pick all-together.
Maybe one pick won’t be enough, but the earlier selection to begin the evening could get the ball rolling. Throw in a late-round addition and you could have a deal. If Howard and Ross finally shine, Burrow for Rookie of the Year could already be locked up.
Trade: Bengals trade 65th pick, 215th pick for TE OJ Howard and 241st pick
Washington Redskins
This is an easy one. One player wants out and the other one needs a change of scenery—so why not just swap them out?
Trent Williams will no longer be a part of Washington’s long-term plan after sitting out last season. Even with a player’s coach like Ron Rivera in the building, the damage is done thanks to the front office, and Williams is ready to move on. When healthy and on the field, few tackles at either position can produce the same type of results as the seven-time Pro Bowl tackle.
Washington will need a new tight end with Jordan Reed’s injuries costing him the remainder of his career. Jeremy Sprinkle is penciled in as the starter and there’s little depth behind him. The Buccaneers would have to offer more than just Howard to grab their left tackle, but if they threw in Donovan Smith’s contract and a late-round selection, they should have enough to match Williams’ long-term salary agreement.
The Buccaneers are going all-in this year already. Why not just trade away picks for a proven tackle and draft your right side tackle at 14?
Trade: Buccaneers trade TE OJ Howard, OT Donavon Smith, and 117th pick for Trent Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
If the Jaguars are going to rely on Gardner Minshew as their future, they better surround him with weapons. One thing Jacksonville has never been able to fix is their tight end problem and the draft won’t be a spot they do so again.
Howard would be a safety net for the second-year quarterback down in Duval. Much like Darren Waller in Las Vegas or Gronk during his days in Foxborough, the right offense will have him receiving plenty of targets to move the chains and be a weapon across the middle. With Jay Gruden as the team’s new OC, he’ll be able to help the former Alabama star bloom into a productive option.
The Jaguars are loaded with picks over the next two seasons — including three fourth-rounders. Two of those, plus a 2021 pick could be enough to have Arians walking away as a winner. Should Jacksonville add another receiver early, this would give speedster D.J. Chark time to work downfield away from double coverage.
Maybe Dave Caldwell could keep a pick by trading away Leonard Fournette across the state. If not, two selections and a future deal could add another piece for Minshew magic or whoever plays quarterback long-term in 2021.
Trade: Jacksonville trades 116th, 140th, and 2021 sixth-round pick for TE OJ Howard
Cole Thompson is a lead NFL writer for PFN. You can follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson and follow PFN @PFN365.