Trade Prediction
December 25th, 2019
Offseason trade bait?
This is sort of like swapping out the unwanted present you can’t use to give to your neighbor for watching your dog.
Chris Rolling of Bleacher Report is already in the offseason mood even with his living room still cluttered with holiday decorations. And in one of his trade predictions for the coming months, Rolling believes the Bucs will trade out tight end O.J. Howard, in part, because his trade value will never get higher.
Howard, a top-20 pick in 2017, hasn’t sniffed expectations with just one receiving score this season. But maybe he merely needs a better surrounding cast to unlock his apparent upside.
The New England Patriots continue to look like an obvious fit. Tom Brady simply hasn’t been the same player this year, hardly completing 61 percent of his passes with only 22 touchdowns. He’s clearly missing Rob Gronkowski, so giving him a chess piece of sorts in Howard could help turn the tide for the offense.
Yeah, it sure seems Rolling is way down on Howard if he believes his trade value will plummet. By typing that, one is basically suggesting Howard’s career is on the decline.
If the Bucs trade a tight end, it might be Cam Brate before Howard. Why? Brate has a higher price tag. Howard is still on his rookie deal.
Right now, like a squirrel prepping for the upcoming snow, Joe is squirreling away interviews and nuggets for the offseason. One is an interview Joe conducted yesterday with Brate that deals with use of tight ends in Bucco Bruce Arians’ offense.
Nothing negative in any way from Brate. It’s rather eye-opening.
No, Joe will never snooze on his loyal readers and Bucs fans, no matter what the calendar reads.
December 25th, 2019 at 2:06 am
Well he’s certainly not in the mold of Gronkowski. Would be interesting to see if Belichick thought he could use him well.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:03 am
Brate is toast. His injuries and labrum surgery have slowed him down significantly.
Brate will be released.
Imagine Brate’s mind and heart combined with Howard’s body?
This Brate-Howard hybrid human would be the greatest TE in history.
Howard should be traded for a 1st or 2nd and we should use the pick on the best OG/C prospect in draft.
We need a run game more than Brate and Howard.
Its time to move on. Save money. Cut Brate.
And swap Howard for a badass RG.
Cappa will become 5 position backup. Like Watford.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:09 am
NE picks too far down the draft board. Now a trade with the Jags for a second or third rounder in 2020 (maybe get an extra mid round pick in 2021 if the deal is for a third in 2020) plus swap draft positions with them in the 2020 draft might be enticing. That would put the Bucs in position for Brown or Kenlaw in the first round and a top tier OT at the top of the second round.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:11 am
If we aren’t going to use TEs, we certainly don’t need both of them…..Brate is the one I would trade because of the money…..neither blocks well but OJ is better at that.
I suspect our weakness in the Oline blocking schemes requires more blocking from the TEs limiting their receptions.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:27 am
No one is giving a #1 for OJ, just chalk this up to another in a long line of poor 5-11 jason licht draft moves. Fire licht hire d brooks how could it get worse?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:49 am
@Rohdes is right
Not going to get a 1st round selection for “OJ Bodybuilding.Com” you are trying to sell him as a Eric Ebron that Sucks and underperforms or is misused then will go on to another team and blossom, which may very well happen…… but may or might or could or would or should is all worthless rt now and the position is of little value to LEFTYPitcheR and PAPA BWUCY BWUCE
This team needs DEFENSIVE LINE and OL, QB
RB, and TRUE SAFETY.
plz trade Howard so “Trash” Licht can find a way to ruin the 2020 draft with more picks to squander
December 25th, 2019 at 7:19 am
OJ is a bust. He plays timid n scared. His hands r suspect, watch some of his catches closely n u can c there r times he slightly juggles the ball. He will not fight to make a play during crunch time. He goes down easy even when tackled by a defender he outweighs by 60 lbs. That’s an O.J. COWARD for u. Just think what Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen, Gronk, Zack Ertz, Kyle Rudolf,or Jared Cook would’ve done had they played Howard’s role. I don’t believe Howard’s heart is in the game. He has size n speed that he tends not to use. Rember Jaquez Green had the speed but lacked courage so be gone then in comes Kenyan McCardel, Keyshawn Johnson, n Joe Jerevicious, the whole culture changed from passive to aggressive. Howard is about looks n his physique. Trade him for whatever we can get. Let’s just bring in Buc men that plays with “Courage Under Fire”.
December 25th, 2019 at 7:29 am
I think it is the system, both Brate and OJs numbers are way down. With that said I would trade Brate. We could use his money to extend Goodwin.
December 25th, 2019 at 8:00 am
The only reason the tight ends do not have the numbers in this offense is because OJ has been forced to help the OL, which also keeps Brate off the field.
If the OL were better at the tackle positions, our TEs would have great numbers.
December 25th, 2019 at 8:00 am
OJ is just having a down year. You guys wanting to get third rounders for him are crazy. 3rd rounders have a huge bust rate. Howard has shown that he can play at a high level. My guess is that he will work hard this offseason to tighten up his game. If Arians can figure out how to properly use a TE and Howards puts in the work I would much rather have him that the next 3rd round backup whatever we would target in a trade.
December 25th, 2019 at 8:39 am
That’s what GREAT Quarterbacks DO. They make good players look great and great players into hall of Famers. I guarantee if O.J. goes to NE that he will look like the TE we all expected him to be coming out of college. Let’s be honest at least with Brady he knows the passes will be catchable and not thrown behind him or to the other team.
December 25th, 2019 at 9:00 am
That would guarantee the Pats
least another Super Bowl maybe two. Also You would be fortunate to get a third rounder for him because the Pats don’t pay premium price for premium players. I would like to see him go to a different team.
December 25th, 2019 at 9:17 am
Joe says:Joe will never snooze on his loyal readers and Bucs fans, no matter what the calendar reads.
Thanks Joe! Merry Christmas!
December 25th, 2019 at 9:17 am
I think it has just taken time for OJ to get into a groove. They have basically ignored him this year and he’s made some plays of late. I don’t know how good his blocking skills are, so I defer on that. But it gets old trading away first round picks and watching them shine elsewhere. If BA and company are so good, and if they stand by Licht, then keep working with this kid. I don’t want to give up either Brate or OJ right now. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Meanwhile, so what…you pick lower in the draft or use 2nd-3rd round talent to build. Doesn’t seem to stop Belicheat, right. Time to demand somethign out of coaches and stop thinking a high pick for the NEXT draft is going to be better than what we have…ESPECIALLY when the same GM is in the seat. Hold BA accountable along with Jason.
December 25th, 2019 at 9:22 am
^^^^WRT my statement above “It gets old trading away first round picks and watching them shine elsewhere.” There are two players that doesn’t apply to: VHIII and Jameis L. Winston. Both had ample opportunity and failed. We saw how the D got better as soon as VHIII left. The O won’t put out as many yards but I’d bet they will get enough yards and points to win MORE than Winston has with guys like Tannehill, Dalton, Rivers. We know Winston isn’t cutting it.
December 25th, 2019 at 9:56 am
The Patriots don’t pay premium price for premium players?
Weren’t they willing to pay Antonio Brown 18 million before he screwed up?
December 25th, 2019 at 9:59 am
What do they say?
Use him or lose him.
December 25th, 2019 at 10:21 am
Nobody is trading for Brate’s contract. Howard’s trade value is tied to him being on a rookie deal.
Brate will either be released or he will renegotiate down.
December 25th, 2019 at 10:57 am
It’s not Howard. It’s our ridiculous system that has that has that kind of weapon and refuses to utilize it unless forced to. Just stupid. It would be like San Francisco refusing to use Kittle. Howard has a huge upside but we just want to push the ball downfield to our WR’s which is not the high percentage throws. Good TE’s are a nightmare for Linebackers and are nearly unstoppable which is why teams that have good ones use them. It’s idiotic not to.
December 25th, 2019 at 11:17 am
Keep Howard and give him more touches. I have feeling he can be an impact TE
December 25th, 2019 at 11:28 am
No way. He’s cheap for now and the ceiling is high.
December 25th, 2019 at 11:49 am
Remember there is only one ball. We pass the ball more than any other team. You give OJ and Brate more touches then who do you take away from, Goodwin and Evans? You can’t feed everybody. A stronger running game that takes away from the passes.
December 25th, 2019 at 11:57 am
I just don’t see OJ mind-melding with Brady…..not that Jameis is in TB12’s league, but we have seen him have phenomenal chemistry with enough guys (Brate included) to think the QB is holding OJ back
December 25th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Trading O.J. would be a huge mistake, he will be a stud and superstar on any other team.
December 25th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Agree with Bonzai. Improve the OL which will allow for OJ to release earlier and be available for more passing routes. Improved OL will also improve the run game and lead to even more catches on screens and play actions.
December 25th, 2019 at 1:33 pm
I don’t remember a problem with Howard playing “soft” in his first two seasons. He had the label of injury-prone for getting hurt and finishing the season on IR. Could that be in his head, and he’s playing to not get hurt? Just a thought.
I’d keep him and see what he can do next year. I don’t imagine his value is that high on the trade market right now, anyway.
December 25th, 2019 at 1:46 pm
OJ could bring a late 2nd or early 3rd rounder, I would do the deal, Licht amended his bad 2nd round pick history with Davis, Dean and Murphy- Bunting. Any one of those rookies or second year players make more impact plays in a game than Howard has this whole season.
The guy off the street that was a basketball player caught a 50 harder by showing smarts and boxing out defender.
OJ doesn’t put in the work, by now he should be elite, if he has 2nd or early 3rd round draft pick value, his value will never be higher and the Bucs need to load up on draft picks. Left which/Arians offense features wide receivers, Brate and Howard are not important in this offense.
December 25th, 2019 at 2:35 pm
Is this guy even worth a 3rd round pick anymore? If the Patriots offered that, I’d take it even though it’s going to be towards the end of the round. I’m tired of losing guys and geting nothing in return. Merry Christmas Vernon.
December 25th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
How bad could the Bucs have used Dalvin Cook this season?!
Did you know that this week, Cook was held out of the MIN game.
🛑🛑🛑Cook has a BETTER FANTASY DAY ON THE BENCH (0 points) than PEYTON BARBER (-0.70 points)!!! 🛑🛑🛑
December 25th, 2019 at 3:25 pm
He is to soft.
December 25th, 2019 at 3:55 pm
OJ will get better everyone will Brate is a gonner
December 25th, 2019 at 7:59 pm
Howard is a bust. Arians doesn’t use TE’s. What a waste because you’re not getting more than a 3rd rounder for him. We need help on defense. The team has been so unbalanced for too long.
December 25th, 2019 at 8:22 pm
Didn’t see McCoy on the All Decade team, but did see Suh..
December 25th, 2019 at 10:31 pm
Brate will be a good trade involving good pick(s) and give us cap space even though him and Jameis have a god connection on the field, especially in the red zone. We still have another year to find out if we want to pay OJ anything. Pre-season rookie rock star Tanner Hudson has shown me he can start at TE. His two targets and two receptions this year have been for 12 and 14 yards.
December 26th, 2019 at 4:07 am
Pats sent their 2nd rounder to the ATL for a WR and the Pats 3rd rounder is likely to be very late and just ahead of the comp picks. If they want OJ, get that 3 but also swap the Bucs 2nd for their 20 something 1st rounder which moves Tampa up about 20 to 25 spots but I doubt if Bellicheat will go for that…..
December 26th, 2019 at 7:33 am
Since Lefty doesn’t utilize the TE”S much, I think we could do without Brate & Howard, since the offense centers around Evans & Godwin. I do believe Auclair, Hudson & others could do the job. Especially for blocking.