“They Know Where I’m Coming From And I Know Where They’re Coming From”
October 25th, 2019
“Jason, O.J. has questions.”
A fixture on the Bucs beat, FOX-13 reporter Kevin O’Donnell had questions in the Tampa Bay locker room for the No. 19 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft earlier this week, and O’Donnell got an intriguing response.
His chat with O.J. Howard was picked up by WDAE radio microphones while the 24-year-old tight end was talking about how the speed element to his game is “just not part of [the offense] right now.”
O’Donnell then followed up to specifically ask Howard if he has talked to Jason Licht or Bucco Bruce Arians about his status.
Howard said he’s talked to both.
“We talk. You know, and that’s the thing, that’s between us. We talked. And [Bruce Arians and Jason Licht] understand where I’m coming from,” Howard said. “You know, we had a very respectful conversation, so they know where I’m coming from and I know where they’re coming from. So like I said, it’s a process. I try to stay positive with it and stay patient. Like I said earlier, I have 10 games left to turn it around.”
Howard went on to say Arians always is eager to talk to players and is always respectful.
Man, it’s awfully early in the season for young player, by all accounts a team-first guy, to be talking to management about his role.
So where exactly is Howard “coming from?”
Is he just telling the bosses he can produce a hell of a lot more and wants to be sure they know it? Or is there more to the growing Howard mystery? Howard won’t play Sunday in Tennessee because of a new hamstring injury.
As Joe noted above, Howard was the No. 19 overall pick. He was a supposed to be a borderline Pro Bowler this season, a brutal mismatch for defenses giving a load of attention to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
So frustrating.
October 25th, 2019 at 7:55 pm
Sounds like the injury (cough cough) means he requested a trade and will be traded
October 25th, 2019 at 7:56 pm
Sounds like he will be traded
October 25th, 2019 at 8:02 pm
It’s because this so called “great” coaching staff are clueless about how to get the best players involved regardless of the scheme.
The scheme should be set up around your best players. Not a scheme that must be ran a certain way that makes the better players useless.
Completely unacceptable that the TE position has been rendered irrelevant. The O-Line has been bad a few years so don’t tell me it’s because they’re needed as blockers instead.
Idiots. Leftwich is in over his head and the “mastermind” is chillin on the sidelines as a delegator of duties.
It’s pathetic and stupid. Brate was one of Winston’s most reliable targets and he’s riding the bench.
That tells me all I need to know about this “coach”
Just pack your sh$t and gtfo. Go back to retirement. You’re not even calling the da m plays Mr. Whisperer. And take that POS Licht with your delegating as s.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:06 pm
He’s coming from, “trade me”
Team is coming from ,”not giving u away for nothing”
October 25th, 2019 at 8:11 pm
Ofcourse he wants to be traded. This moronic and idiot coaching staff have no clue on how to use him. Don’t blame him. They instead wanna throw to piss ant Scotty Miller or no hands Perriman. Winston likes bigger targets.
Offensive coaches: let’s put one on the bench for the majority of plays and make the other one an o-lineman. Oh and sure let’s give the third string RB the majority of playing time.
I mean wtf is going on?
October 25th, 2019 at 8:19 pm
Fake azz BSing Brucie. He’s turning out to be all many thought he wasn’t. So full of crap.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:21 pm
I’m just glad that Arrington and Perriman are lighting it up. How could I ever have doubted Bruce and of course, his totally fixed DB.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:21 pm
As positive as I try to be simply put this doesn’t smell good, look good, or sound good.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:24 pm
Figures we don’t agree on much but you nailed it sir, with the exception of the Jameis part of course, remember Adam Humphries he wasn’t exactly huge. But again you nailed it, quite a few curious decisions being made with playing time and scheme. Why can’t we ever just get coaches that get the most out of their players?
October 25th, 2019 at 8:25 pm
He gone.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:31 pm
I hope that the Glazers are watching what Dalvin Cook is doing in Minnesota and hold it against Licht accordingly. There has got to be something seriously wrong with Howard or he is just not the weapon some folks make him out to be. Arians used Heath Miller often in the passing game as Joe has stated so I don’t buy the media’s narrative that Arians doesn’t utilize tight ends. Appartly there was a reason why a supposed top 5 talent fell to us at 19.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Buczilla, from the glimpses we’ve seen so far if they were using Jones like Minnesota uses Cook I think we’d be seeing similar production.
Figures, good posts. Particularly the second paragraph of the first one. Agree completely.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:47 pm
So Licht got a call from NE to trade for Howard, no deal. Then Michael Bennett gets traded to Dallas for a 7th rnd pick. Now O.J. got a “hamstring” injury. Suuuuuure 😉
You telling me Licht couldn’t throw a 6th and/or 7th Round pick NE’s way for Bennett? Oh we probably couldn’t afford him anyway or no one I mean no one wants to come to Tampa EVEN in a trade.
What in the HELL is going on out here???
October 25th, 2019 at 8:50 pm
@ndog
Yes other than Humphries. He was smaller and very reliable. But he’s the exception not the rule.
I don’t understand wtf is going on. Things just aren’t making any sense at all with this scheme or play calls or playing time. It literally is mind boggling.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:53 pm
Bucs didn’t need OJ, they had Brate. Should have gotten a running back, ie . Cook. Should have gotten some O Line that would have helped give Jameis some time to throw. Should have picked some good secondary players, Should haves all over the place except where it counts, ie on the field.
October 25th, 2019 at 8:54 pm
LOL you’re truly delusional if you think the glasers care that much.
Howard doubts if they could even name all the Bucs 2nd round picks
October 25th, 2019 at 9:05 pm
“My Dad and I
Want to know when the Tampa bay Bucs high school media reporters are going to ask hard questions toward BA
Will the ineffective organic BA lovechild Bryon Leftwich be replaced?
My Dad and I look at each other with disgust
Whenever JBF asks softball questions during press conference
It may be puny, but my Dad has balls”
Son of Raisins Faker
October 25th, 2019 at 9:11 pm
He’s prob asking for a trade since he’s not being used.
Hell of a franchise we’ve got going on here.
October 25th, 2019 at 9:21 pm
Howard is a professional athlete. He needs to get quality highlights at the NFL level so he can one day secure a top tier contract. He doens’t want to be used primarily as a blocker because his general manager is incompetent and can’t fix an offensive line that has been trash since 2017. Tight ends dream of running routes and catching TDs like Gronk and getting the media love that guys like Gronk and Kelce get.
October 25th, 2019 at 9:35 pm
One coach to dumb to use him and another that’s about to trade him. As long as it’s to the AFC cool just dont go trading him. Pretty dumb of the coach and gm to not upgrade the o line because oj, godwin and Evans block
October 25th, 2019 at 9:45 pm
Its a crime the way our quality players are being misused.Time to step in and be more active BA before our season goes down the drain.i believe Howard has been disrespected.
October 25th, 2019 at 9:49 pm
All I know is if they trade him to the Patriots, I am completely done with this team. By trading him to the Patriots, the team that will most likely win the Super Bowl, whatever picks you get for that round will be dead last in that given round. So if you got a 1st round for Howard expect it to be pick number 32. When I heard that they offered a 2nd or 3rd rounder last week I wanted to throw crap around my house I was so angry at the disrespect.
October 25th, 2019 at 9:51 pm
Son of Kobe … Good to see that someone besides Ndog is looking at the bigger picture here. OJ isn’t THE PROBLEM on offense by any means, but it’d be typically-Bucs to trade him for peanuts. And playing the COULDA-WOULDA-SHOULDA game about who we might have drafted instead is silly. What’s done is done, and we could play that game for virtually every high pick the Bucs have made since 1976.
THE PROBLEM is how this team is using OJ, as well as how it’s using a number of other players. THAT falls on COACHING. When you have a 2-4 record and the season is in jeopardy, the time for On-The-Job-Training (OJT?) is over.
October 25th, 2019 at 9:56 pm
“I’ve got 10 more games”……doesn’t sound like trade talk to me…….but WTFDIK
October 25th, 2019 at 10:07 pm
Following the Bucs for five long years and have to ask, you have perpetual winners (Patriots) and perpetual losers (Bucs),..what’s the difference? Brains.
October 25th, 2019 at 10:20 pm
“Def Rules
There is a problem at 1Buc Place
Seems like the Delagator is really a Dictator
BA has never been wrong and removing Leftwich would mean he was wrong and that will never happen
Leftwich is unqualified and incompetent. Our top 5 offense and team will suffer because he is not removed as playcaller and OC
NEVER, NEVER,NEVER
In all my years of following organized football has my Dad and I , ever heard a HC claim he is training a coach than improving the players and offense to win games”
Son of Sam
October 25th, 2019 at 10:33 pm
Every JBF contributor should if not MUST watch Doug Williams A Football Life. The similarities are astounding!
October 25th, 2019 at 10:34 pm
Should’ve ever hired BA. Old and it looks like the game has jus passed him by. Should’ve done everything to get Josh McDaniels
October 25th, 2019 at 10:44 pm
Figures is spot on,
Licht is a dumpster fire
Leftwhich terrible
Arians Clueless and washed up
Glazers incompetent
October 25th, 2019 at 10:49 pm
Very odd timing on his hamstring hope he is not being traded but has the feel of a player asking for a trade.
October 25th, 2019 at 11:49 pm
Trade out Howard for a corner or a DB to fix the secondary. Or nothing Licht, let’s keep going to the draft every year to fix it.
October 25th, 2019 at 11:58 pm
If they trade OJ for less than a 1st Rd pick, Jason Licht should be fired immediately.
I’ve had enough of this meatheaded dumb*** as our GM.
#lichtmyb**ls
#worstgminsports
October 26th, 2019 at 12:08 am
Sounds like he didn’t take the news well that they blocked him from playing with Tom Brady and forcing him to stick with Captain turnover!
October 26th, 2019 at 3:02 am
I don’t blame OJ it ridiculous how the team is not using him!
October 26th, 2019 at 4:37 am
This franchise has hit a new level of incompetence. Perhaps the commissioner should step in and force the Glasers to sell. It is clear they have no interest in competing, just collecting revenue. I’m not sure that is the goal the commissioner supports.
October 26th, 2019 at 5:57 am
we have had a lot of coaching staff changes recently and that tells me maybe it ain’t all on the coaching staff…..nave its like I said, talent is what you need to build a solid team! Let’s keep bringing in the talent but you can’t at the same time give away talented players. OJ is injured can you guys smell that!!! Let’s get him back to 100% then figure this thing out!! SUNDAY IS GAME DAY …POUND THE ROCK!! GO TEAM BUCS!!!
October 26th, 2019 at 6:05 am
Arealbucsfan
After what happened to the colts that’s your brilliant plan to hire josh McDaniels a guy who sucked as a head coach?
October 26th, 2019 at 6:37 am
Most of these responses are way to over corrective. We make a kick we should make we are 3-3. Couple things go our way in week one we are 4-2. Our o line depth is slim. Losing two starters hurts. This game is won and lost in the trenches. OJ happens to be a top option to block because of our lack of depth. Who gives a sheet if howard catches 7 for a 100 and we lose. We have played good enough to be 3-3. What BA is doing with OJ is putting the team first. We dont need more points. We need to protect whoever is playing QB first. Trading away one of our best guys in the trenches isn’t the answer. The only answer I have is to back these boys. Our defensive backfield lacks a leader. Way to much finger pointing going on.
Go Bucs!!!!
Let’s go!!!!!!!!!!!! 3-4 after Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 26th, 2019 at 7:37 am
Buczilla, Arians is not running the offense Leftwich is the OC.
October 26th, 2019 at 7:38 am
How can they not find a way to get an inline blocking TE on the roster to, you know, block, and free up the TE they used a 1st round pick on to catch?
This whole thing is a joke. Arians completely overestimated Sluggo’s ability to build and call an NFL offense. Howard is phased out and Evans seems disinterested.
When does it end? Why can’t we have nice things?
October 26th, 2019 at 8:08 am
Nobody in the nfl is going the bucs a first round pick for Howard. They probably won’t get a second round pick either unless there is more included in the trade besides Howard. A third round pick is more likely because he has not played a full season due to injuries or no drive to play. Trade him before he becomes garbage like most of the other players.
October 26th, 2019 at 8:24 am
I smell a trade.
Browns mysteriously pull left tackle Greg Robinson from the starting line up.
Bucs claim mysterious bye week injury and pull starting TE OJ Howard from the starting line up.
Maybe that smell is the Gumpster Fire.
October 26th, 2019 at 8:32 am
Leftwich is dragging down the team.Arians needs to get off the golf cart and stop delegating and start coaching.
October 26th, 2019 at 8:59 am
BucEmUp same can be said about Bowles. But BA doesn’t know squat about defense. Maybe they should have hired a defense minded head coach.
October 26th, 2019 at 10:14 am
Allbuccedup Says:
October 26th, 2019 at 8:59 am
BucEmUp same can be said about Bowles. But BA doesn’t know squat about defense. Maybe they should have hired a defense minded head coach.
and folks laughed when i said Kris Richard….lol…
unfortunately, he’ll take over for dallas….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 26th, 2019 at 10:18 am
“Son of Raisins Faker”
.
.
LOL what a nut. Got me to laugh even with all this BS team drama.
October 26th, 2019 at 11:02 am
At this point who wouldn’t trade OJ for a 1st rate corner or pass rusher? I would pull that trigger in a heartbeat. I would NOT trade for draft pick unless it was a #1.
October 26th, 2019 at 11:12 am
^^^ and then I would use that draft pick to trade for a 1st rate corner or pass rusher
October 26th, 2019 at 11:28 am
@ Locked In
Yup!
October 26th, 2019 at 11:43 am
OJ was a curious pick. He is obviously a talented guy, and surely justified his draft spot, but we didn’t need him and haven’t used him.
We can complain about his limited use this year, but he hasn’t exactly been a cornerstone of the offense. This team is in desperate need of Offensive Tackles, edge rushers, and a cover corner. I’d move OJ in a heart beat for any of them.
October 26th, 2019 at 11:43 am
Especially if we don’t plan to use him.
October 26th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Listen, when the Bucs pass to O.J. and he just throws up one hand and tips the ball to the other team (which has happened in two games this year) and he doesn’t jump and grab it with both hands, would you increase throws to O.J.?
Even when he catches it and runs and runs out of bounds instead of lowering his pads and using his weight to blast through it or at least throwing out a stiff arm and fight for yardage, he is playing like a sissy. That all tells me he just wants to be traded because he doesn’t think this team will ever earn him a Super Bowl Ring! We are better off trading him for a very high draft pick or for a proven top OT or great Veteran CB. Besides Auclair can replace him and block better than O.J. and will get more yac!
October 26th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
If we trade howard i am turning in my bucs card. Fcku this franchise. .. Glazers are dirty
October 26th, 2019 at 2:00 pm
I like Howard but he has been unreliable when the ball has come his way. Two balls that he should have caught have been intercepted. He’s also missing blocking assignments. BA told hus guys a long time ago that if they want the ball you have to block
October 26th, 2019 at 2:15 pm
I think Tye has it right: OJ can’t stop thinking how much better his life and career would have been if he was starting TE for Pats. He may not have asked for a trade but he probably wondered aloud why they wouldn’t trade him given how he’s been used thus far.
OJ’s problem is that as much as a trade to Pats makes sense for him, it doesn’t make any sense for the Bucs without a haul in return… and Belichick is not in the habit of paying list, much less overpaying, price for anybody. What would make sense for the Bucs is to use OJ a heck of a lot more with short passes to slow down/tire out that pass rush that our OL doesn’t seem to handle well… of course that would require Byron to stop calling the slow-developing deep stuff and/or Jameis to take more openings underneath without holding the ball for 7! seconds while he both scrambles for his life and dreams of a home run bomb. Argh!
October 26th, 2019 at 3:53 pm
Fix your ha mds O J
October 26th, 2019 at 5:17 pm
JAMEIS WINSTON RUINS ANOTHER RECEIVER’S CAREER.
MIKE EVANS IS NEXT.