Howard “Will Play Faster”
January 18th, 2018
Mike Mayock explains.
Yes, Bucs fans, there was actually something to smile about for the 2017 season.
The folks in the football offices thought prior to last spring’s draft they would hit the lottery if they were able to land tight end O.J. Howard. And as it played out, much to many folks’ surprise, Howard actually fell to the Bucs.
It seems as if the card couldn’t have been turned in to the NFL suits quick enough with Howard’s name on it to Tampa Bay.
Joe caught up with uber NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock at the practices for the East-West Shrine Game this week, which will be played Saturday at the Fruitdome in St. Petersburg. The game will be telecast on NFL Network with Mayock as the game analyst.
Joe got Mayock’s observations on Howard and his rookie season with the Bucs.
JoeBucsFan.com: O.J. Howard looks to be everything he was billed to be coming out of Alabama. Understand that a rookie playing tight end in the NFL it is a minefield. As the season grew longer, he showed up.
Mike Mayock: Yeah, and I think he will play faster and faster as he grows more confident. As you said, for a tight end [in the NFL], it is both a run game and a pass game. He has to continue to develop, especially in the run game side of it. But I think he will play faster and faster as he gets more comfortable.
So who do you trust, Mayock, a pro’s pro, or dudes in their Irish dorm rooms?
Howard looks to be a rising star. A guy who will be with the Bucs for years. Now that’s a draft pick, something Joe is growing accustomed to with Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
January 18th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
OJ looked fantastic for rookie TE who is doing more than just being a receiver -TE and S are the two hardest positions for a rookie to come in and play well at – and O.J. looked like a pro from day one.
Will be interesting to see what Mayock’s take on J Evans is if you get chance to ask.
January 18th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
The Patriots use a 2 tight end set up have done okay. With Howard & Brate, this should be child’s play. Is it posible to have too many receivers ? We’re loaded with only 1 football to throw. Trade one and fix the D-line.
January 18th, 2018 at 2:22 pm
Howard will probably be really good but it was the wrong pick for the bucs or do not sign DJAX, but one of those was a horrible decision, when the defense needed all teh help last year and licht acted like he was blindoflded throwing darts at a fooseball table
January 18th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
@Rod…first chat with Mike was about Evans. He lined what he saw from the rookie
@uck…Brats is gonna be a FA now. So there that
#TRENCHWARFARE
#bringhomeDPoe
January 18th, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Yes Joe Licht does assemble very good talent the problem he has no clue how to build a team. His job is not picking good players it is building a team. You cant build a team while ignoring the defensive line and RB for 3-4 straight years. This speaks to the whole best player available crowd, you see what picking the best player available did for us last year, A TOP 10 PICK!!! When talent and need intercede, that is where you have good to great draft picks. Howard will probably be a very good player for us but if he ends up on losing teams his whole career what did that pick really do for the team????
January 18th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
According to PFF he absolutely sucked at blocking but I saw him taking dudes out consistently. That site needs to be shut down lol it causes nothing but confusion and needless debate
January 18th, 2018 at 3:01 pm
Written and published earlier this week.
January 18th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
“Howard looks to be a rising star.”
“Is Jonathan Banks on the Cusp of Elite?” (JBF, 12/7/2013)
So let’s take our player analysis with a grain of salt.
January 18th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
Did no one else catch these games? 2 touchdowns and about 150 yards came on 3 blown coverages. As in, no one around for miles. The guy is good, but with so many other glaring needs on both sides of the ball, and a solid, if not good TE already on the roster… I’m not sure we deployed that pick correctly. For a playoff contender, the choice between a backup TE or a 3-down back or sack specialist is pretty clear…
BO BUCS!!!
January 18th, 2018 at 3:58 pm
Pick is in and done, can’t keep complaining we didn’t get a RB, DE or OL. All you can do is go forward and hope this off-season we get the players needed to get us to the next level, if we get the players and do not get there, then it is simple, coaching, if we don’t get the players, it’s the GM, if Chubb is number one on your board, go get him, if Asnsah or Lawrence are your top free agents go get them, If they believe these are game changers, then give up a draft pick, we did it for less…, the kicker that is out in San Diego next.
January 18th, 2018 at 4:04 pm
the least of our problems…..GO BUCS!!!!
January 18th, 2018 at 5:00 pm
I’ll be honest. When it happened, I thought we got a total steal at 19. And I still think so. Joe (or maybe it was one of his minions) told us at the time not to expect much early production, because tight end is one of the toughest positions to learn.
January 18th, 2018 at 5:41 pm
Bucs could and should trade DJax for picks or a Dlineman or Olineman. OJ will get more catches and it will help the running game.
January 18th, 2018 at 6:32 pm
The reason I see them trading Brate for a huge need, as long as it’s a good trade.
But nothing will help this team as long as Mike Smith is still on staff
January 18th, 2018 at 7:16 pm
I can’t see us trading Brate. No receiver on the team has better chemistry with JW3 than Brate. Plus we let go of Stocker.
January 18th, 2018 at 7:21 pm
We will get Chubb at 19, the Colts will trade back with a team that needs a QB, they also need multiple players, Josh McDaniels will be their coach, they will switch to a 3-4 defense and he can get an edge rusher from Georgia later. You heard it here first
January 18th, 2018 at 8:12 pm
Joe mentioned this last year this time and got ripped to shreds for it.
January 18th, 2018 at 8:14 pm
DJ ax is a.ss start Godwin over him usevdjax to return punts and slot after 2018 cut him. Should have never signed him. Jameis is not perfect but it’s better than what we ever had.
January 18th, 2018 at 8:16 pm
Nobody should be worried about OJ. That dude is a stud in the making. Transition over to the hockey and there is legit concern over Vasy. That dude can’t stop a basketball from going into the goal now.
January 18th, 2018 at 10:01 pm
Straight. Up. Stud.
January 18th, 2018 at 10:58 pm
Read the names that got picked after Howard. None of those guys would’ve helped last year until you get to maybe Buddha Baker.
January 18th, 2018 at 11:36 pm
That’s very true!
January 19th, 2018 at 2:29 am
Thanks WutdaBucisthis, I missed that, I’ll go find it now.
January 19th, 2018 at 2:33 am
Thanks Joe, my bad for missing it…
January 19th, 2018 at 8:15 am
OJ will become a Bucs legend. Bucs were NOT a few pieces away from the SB. He’s another building block towards a championship team. Bucs are still in rebuilding mode and still need more good pieces. That goes for coaching as well.
January 19th, 2018 at 8:27 am
Trying to get back in JL’s good graces, pathetic.
January 19th, 2018 at 11:40 am
OJ Howard will be an All-Pro TE sooner rather than later! We are set with he and Brate! We need upgrades at DE, OL, RB and CB. Those are THE ONLY areas we should be spending our limited resources on this off season!
January 19th, 2018 at 1:52 pm
Painful truth now is a rb wouldn’t have made a huge difference even since we had a defense that gave up the lead quicker than the school slore gives up the panties for some attention. OJ got one good year of learning blocking at the pro level. He did some good things showing he will/can do some damage in the pass game he just has to be utilized properly like Godwin needs to be. We get us a good between the tackles runner and some equality linemen then this offense can be what was expected this past year.