Update:
A source tells Jenna Laine of ESPN that the Buccaneers nearly traded TE O.J. Howard two months ago to the Redskins in exchange for LT Trent Williams, but talks ultimately fell through.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers don’t plan to just give away TE O.J. Howard.
Unless a team blows them away with an offer, Stroud says Tampa Bay is more than happy to line up Howard and recently-acquired TE Rob Gronkowski in two-tight end sets.
However, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora says there’s still a distinct possibility that Howard ends up in New England despite not being part of the initial deal between the teams.
That’s not the only possibility for Howard, per La Canfora, but it’s one that still remains in play. Howard has been connected to the Patriots since last year.
Howard’s name had surfaced on the trading block for the Buccaneers last week before the Gronkowski deal took shape. He was also reportedly available for a second-round pick at the trade deadline last year.
It’s worth mentioning the new CBA forces teams to fully guarantee the fifth-year option, which could play a role for the Buccaneers as they have to make a decision on Howard’s option after the draft.
Howard has shown promise but struggled to acclimate to new HC Bruce Arians‘ system last year. While new QB Tom Brady has shown he can succeed with two-tight end sets, the optimal situation for Tampa Bay might include trading Howard for another high pick.
Howard, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Buccaneers back in 2017. He signed a four-year, $11.094 million contract that included a $6.208 million signing bonus and he stands to make a base salary of $1.97 million for the 2020 season.
Howard’s contract includes a fifth-year option for the Buccaneers to pick up this offseason.
According to OverTheCap.com, trading Howard would free up $1,977,936 of available cap space while creating $1,552,246 in dead money.
In 2019, Howard appeared in 14 games for the Buccaneers and caught 34 passes for 459 yards receiving and one touchdown.
We’ll have more regarding the Buccaneers and Howard as the news is available.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
