What Can O.J. Howard Do? More Of The Same.
May 21st, 2021
Bucs TE O.J. Howard.
So a loaded team pretty much has a first-round draft pick of a tight end falling out of the sky for them this fall.
It’s good to be king!
Your Super Bowl champion Buccaneers were loaded on offense already. Now it’s starting to get unfair; dangerous tight end O.J. Howard back after he missed most of the season with an injured Achilles.
So how and what will change for the Bucs with Howard?
As Trevor Sikkema points out for The Draft Network, quite possibly not a whole bunch outside of getting another toy to play with for park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, smartphone-phobic, waffle-grilling, trophy-throwing, roller-coaster-scared, numbers-rules-peeved, Bucs-Super-Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.
Tampa Bay was a top-12 team in the league last year when it came to 12 personnel (two tight ends) frequency at 264 offensive plays (22%). The previous season the Buccaneers were top 10 in that category at 23%, which means we can expect them to lean on the multi-tight end grouping again with around 20-25% of their offensive plays.
Howard has never played a full season for the Buccaneers. In his rookie year, he played and started in 14 games, but in his second season, he played in just 10 games and missed the rest due to foot and ankle injuries. The following year he once again played in and started 14 games, and then of course, there was last year with his injury. Howard has been hit and miss with his health throughout his rookie season, but what he can bring to this team is a bonus.
Whatever Howard is for Tampa Bay in 2021 will be another example of the rich getting richer.
Foot-rubbing, car-littering Rob Gronkowski was healthy last year. He started all 16 regular-season games. That’s the first time Gronk has done that since 2011.
So the Bucs have a Hall of Fame tight end, 32, who once every nine years stays healthy. Then the Bucs have a talented former first-round pick of a tight end who has never had a full season of health coming off a major injury like an Achilles. And people wonder why the Bucs kept Cam Brate?
This will be something to monitor this fall. It’s a safe bet either Gronk or Howard (or both) go down.
Joe is convinced the only two things that can keep the Bucs from finishing their mission of “Go for Two” are complacency or injuries.
May 21st, 2021 at 8:25 am
Win-win situation with our TE group. I love that we have the opportunity with OJ to give Gronk breaks and not over use him.
20 games is a long time to be a starter without rests 😉
May 21st, 2021 at 8:30 am
More of the same? Underachieving, inconsistent and often injured?
OH you were talking about the Bucs Offense not OJ…
In BA I Trust!
May 21st, 2021 at 8:40 am
Injuries will be the #1 key to a repeat.
May 21st, 2021 at 8:43 am
OJ will give it everything he has: has a child now, contract year. Motivation is everything and hopefully he’s been using the juggs machine
May 21st, 2021 at 8:44 am
Last year OJ looked like he was actually engaged consistently for the short season he had. With all the goofy plays he has been a part of, last season was encouraging that OJ could make a difference, at least more than his first couple of years. The TD against Philly from Fitzpatrick, and the 1 handed foul ball catch at the Rays game are really the 2 moments that stick out. BTW If I remember right, he was not supposed to be at the Rays game lol GO BUCS!!!!
May 21st, 2021 at 8:45 am
Can’t believe we kept him. I’m pessimistic about him being able to stay healthy. Plus Gronk and Brate are better all around TE’s and can be trusted fully to be where they should be and catch the ball, and Gronk is like a lineman blocking.
OJ……..potential for mismatches and speed at TE, but we have that on the WR side. Seems like the other two are more useful. I hope OJ does well, but if he drops a ball you know he won’t get another target…and thats if he can even stay on the field. Heck I like our 3rd TE better-Eauclair?
May 21st, 2021 at 8:46 am
Can’t believe we kept him. I’m pessimistic about him being able to stay healthy. Plus Gronk and Brate are better all around TE’s and can be trusted fully to be where they should be and catch the ball, and Gronk is like a lineman blocking.
OJ……..potential for mismatches and speed at TE, but we have that on the WR side. Seems like the other two are more useful. I hope OJ does well, but if he drops a ball you know he won’t get another target…and thats if he can even stay on the field. Heck I like our 3rd TE better-Eauclair?….
May 21st, 2021 at 8:59 am
With this group and they way they take the game so seriously, complacency will not be an issue. Throw that possibility out the window. Injuries is another matter and all we can do is cross our fingers and pray to the football gods that everyone stays healthy. Even with injuries, as long as they don’t hit more than one player in a position group, we should still be in good shape. Last year Vea went down and Nunez-Roches filled in. OJ was out and we didn’t really miss him as Gronk and Brate ran the show. Evans or Godwin go down, AB, Miller, and Johnson take more snaps. This team is loaded. The only injury that would have a monumental impact would be to Brady. So, O-line you guys need to keep it real this year.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:00 am
Robert, Auclaire moved on.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:02 am
I understand the disappointment with OJ Howard…..I share it….but I certainly root for him to succeed as I do all Bucs.
OJ provides quality depth not only at TE but with the game plan if one of our top receivers goes down…..we would use more 2 TE sets….perhaps 3 on occasion.
If OJ blows up…..which is possible…..we will be impossible to stop….If OJ doesn’t blow up, we will be impossible to stop.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:12 am
Brates better. If i got one play 4th down and crunch time……..Im trusting Brate over O.J. Thats my ultimate judge on a player.
I have been anti O.J. for quite some time but when Brady came in I figured he would proove me wrong. Now entering year 2 with Brady Im still waiting……Seems like the theme with O.J…….fans keep waiting and waiting for Howard to bear some fruit.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:15 am
Average production with above average talent, another big athlete that grew up bigger and faster and played football but was not a football player.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:24 am
I hope OJ can fully recover from his Achilles injury. It appeared he was on the verge of having a solid season before that injury occurred.
What a bummer.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:44 am
Expect healthy Gronk for the whole season next season. His injuries in NE were mainly because he was overused. For a while there they had nobody but Gronk and Edelman upfront. Not an issue with this loaded team. Gronk will likely be fine all season.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:44 am
We need to get him some bubble wrap over his pads. 😂
May 21st, 2021 at 10:06 am
The Bucs showed they didn’t need OJ last year. Gronk & Brate did just fine. I would try & trade OJ plus it would be nice to help the salary cap. Tanner & Auclair are good backups.
May 21st, 2021 at 10:31 am
Auclair went to the Texans guys!
May 21st, 2021 at 10:47 am
What PSL Bob said–the depth is actually damn good!
May 21st, 2021 at 11:26 am
I hate when people talk about injuries when we were a healthy team in the offseason with backup. The medical staff is a HUGE piece and they did a great job. Barely any sickness around. He was at Toms’s session all last summer.
We’re big boys over here. We’re not KC or GB crying all day and night about how they only lost because of injury. We can’t do that especially since we have such good depth.
May 21st, 2021 at 11:35 am
“What Can O.J. Howard Do? More Of The Same”
I agree… stay injured. Stay off the field. We are more than fine without him.
May 21st, 2021 at 11:50 am
He is a great receiving talent, and an average blocker….I am more than happy he is back…..
The question is, with so many targets, who if any will be doubled?
I can´t wait to see everybody on the field and watch what defenses will do against a team with so many and different talented options…..
May 21st, 2021 at 12:04 pm
OJ really looked good last year before the injury. He has a great example of how to be a Pro in Gronk and was receiving a lot of positive encouragement. Hopefully he is fully healthy and can pick up where he left off.
May 21st, 2021 at 12:06 pm
Red zone gonna be on fire.
May 21st, 2021 at 12:17 pm
The guy who lives under a bridge and likes to aggravate his readers for self-enjoyment is active today.
May 21st, 2021 at 12:20 pm
IF, and that is a big fat IF, OJ contributes it will be gravy. Nobody should have any expectation of this guy being a major contributor.
I hope I’m wrong but the history speaks for itself.
May 21st, 2021 at 12:59 pm
OJ has missed 22 games in 4 years. If he is going to remain a Buc after this year his availability will have to improve. Your not going to get a long term deal if your a part time player. Stay healthy OJ.
May 21st, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Howard has been such a massive disappointment. I think he would need to stay healthy for the entire season and be in the conversation for a pro bowl for us to keep him beyond this year. To be fair, there are a lot of busts/near busts from that draft class, but we could have had T.J. Watt instead of Howard. Lol, it’s a gosh damn shame.
May 21st, 2021 at 6:36 pm
Get Himont. He a jinx.
May 21st, 2021 at 6:46 pm
I’m glad we’re going to maybe be able to see what’s left in him this season, hopefully he’s no longer clueless about being a pro. Hope he gets an injury free chance to work with Brady through a whole season and give TB a chance to truly help develop him.
Honestly, I think he’s going to get hurt again before game five and we’ll never see him on the field as a Buc again. I have no faith in him whatsoever. But I’m trying to stay positive, I really am!
May 21st, 2021 at 8:04 pm
Maybe one day his “potential” will actually translate into good football plays. OJ needs to complete a season first.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:58 pm
OJ “looks” great and has all the physical tools. Dude is injury-prone, just what it is. I pencil him in for maybe 5 games.