No Role. No Return.
January 31st, 2022
O.J. Howard
Was O.J. Howard ever a good fit in Bucco Bruce Arians’ offense?
A couple of former tight ends went there last week.
First, let Joe get this out of the way. Howard was a bust of a first-round pick in 2017. It happens. Whether it was fit, injuries, inner fire and/or football IQ, Howard didn’t cut it in the high-flying Tampa Bay offense. He’s a third-string, injury-prone tight end who turns 28 next season.
Howard, a soon-to-be free agent, will get another shot somewhere because that’s how it goes with former first-round picks. A team will gamble on the raw talent. Perhaps that team is even the 2022 Bucs, but it sure seems unlikely.
Former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht (2005-2007) was on WDAE radio last week wondering aloud if Howard ever really had a meaningful role in the Arians-regime offense. Becht noted the Bucs bringing in an extra offensive lineman for blocking and Howard’s skills not being maximized.
“I love O.J. There’s a lot in the bottle there,” Becht said,
“The whole Arians system, it never was embraced with him. [Howard’s] got a lot of tools in the toolbox — for whatever reason just not been able to get them all out. Whether that’s someone getting it out of him or, you know, himself just trying to make a difference. And sometimes you’re just restricted on some of the things you do.”
Becht added that Howard is a guy primed for a fresh start.
Former Bucs tight end Dave Moore (1992-2001 & 2004-2006) also said last week on the Buccaneers Radio Network that Howard was a major part of the 2020 Bucs offense — and that was very much planned — until he got hurt in Week 4 and Rob Gronkowski’s strong health, fitness, and great chemistry with Tom Brady changed Howard’s role.
Moore noted that Cameron Brate’s blocking improved this season on certain designed runs and that likely further cut Howard’s opportunities.
Like Becht, Moore sees promising potential in Howard.
Joe is ready to cheer on Howard in the AFC, perhaps with the Titans and his former Bucs draftmate Jeremy “Snoop Dogg McPlaybook” McNichols.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:11 pm
He was supposed to be Kyle Pitts coming out of college. It was a great selection. He never did anything and he can’t block to boot. See you later
January 31st, 2022 at 4:16 pm
man, thats the draft i thought we were getting dalvin cook
January 31st, 2022 at 4:20 pm
At the Draft Party I was at, you could have heard a pin drop when we passed on Cook for OJ Howard.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:34 pm
I don’t know, isn’t Gronk a TE? He seems to be doing fine in Arains system. Maybe it’s just that OJ sucks, always has, always will. Bad pick period.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:38 pm
I had high hopes for OJ Howard. It was starting to look like he was getting ready to have a breakout season. Then he snapped his achilles tendon.
He has not been the same since.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:44 pm
Marine Buc
We all had high hopes for him. Like I said, he was Kyle Pitts coming out of college. Yes he had the Achilles but before that and after that he has had several times where you think he’s about to start doing well and then just disappears for a month. In hindsight, they should have drafted Dalvin Cook. But Howard fell in their lap and was a very good pick… At the time
January 31st, 2022 at 4:52 pm
Bad pick. The guy just doesn’t have it. Time to go.
January 31st, 2022 at 5:11 pm
He’s all Saban flash just stealing cash.
January 31st, 2022 at 5:22 pm
If he came back at league minimum salary, I’d probably consider him… but he’ll be paid more, and we can draft a blocking TE who could possibly contribute as a rookie for a lot less $$$.
Maybe he’ll blossom somewhere else, like Austin Sefarian Jenkins… 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
January 31st, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Everyone seemed to think that OJ was a Top-10 pick in 2017 but a total of 18 teams passed on him before JL jumped. I watched him a lot at Bama, and although he was good, very few TEs are ‘1st Rnd good’ IMO (Gronk & a couple others are obvious exceptions). I was happy we got him, but in retrospect the Bucs had more pressing needs to use their 1st Rnd pick on.
OJ has talent, but his availability over his 5 years has kinda sucked (59 out of 81 regular season games is less than 73%). His career catch rate (66.1%) is less than spectacular, but his yards/reception was exceptional in his 1st 2 years under Dirk Koetter (16.6 YPR). Under BA & BL that’s dropped quite a bit to 12.5 YPR (and only 9.6 YPR this past year).
No way to know for sure, but it seems possible that OJ was being used very differently in BA’s offense (maybe due to Gronk being primary?) and maybe he just didn’t fit well. In any event, a fresh start in a different system might do him a world of good.
January 31st, 2022 at 5:26 pm
Probably Licht’s worst draft pick behind Aguayo.
Senseless to draft a TE Round 1 after Brate scored most TD’s for TE’s the season prior. As average or bad as any Brate haters might think he is, OJ is inherently worse. Difference is one dude was undrafted the other was a 1st rounder.
Bust
January 31st, 2022 at 5:41 pm
For O.J. Howard to make plays, it had to be schemed for him. Under Dirk Koetter O.J. put up really good numbers, however, he wasn’t able to stay healthy. Ultimately O.J. doesn’t have the football I.Q. to play at a high level.
January 31st, 2022 at 5:58 pm
O.J. Howard can block. Get real.
His real issue is the same as the guy he replaced…health.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:12 pm
Watch him go to another team and shine. It takes that for some players. OJ can play. He just gotta stay healthy.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:16 pm
Cook was the pick.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:20 pm
Don’t waste time on him or Tryon just get em out.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:26 pm
^^ Tryon? Are you phouecking nuts?
January 31st, 2022 at 6:39 pm
Watched the Rams use their third tight end yesterday, know why they were successful with him, because he wasn’t accounted for, the 49ers didn’t expect him, what a concept.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:44 pm
You don’t get to say “promising potential” anymore when it comes to OJ Howard.
He’s had 5 full years in the league to show something MORE than ‘potential” and has consistently failed to do so…..
Pretty sad career thus far for a player that was universally graded as a top 10 pick from his 2017 class. Some draftnicks even had him as a top 5 talent…..
January 31st, 2022 at 7:07 pm
OJ had 5 years to prove himself. There are other players that sat out for a year or more with much worse injuries than his, however, they somehow return to normal or elevate their performance. Take a look at Willis McGahee, Adrain Peterson, Christian McCafferty, Peyton Manning, Jamall Charles, and Tom Brady. I’m tired of this guy being rescued or bailed out due to his injuries. What has he done lately to make BA feel he can trust him. Just recently he juggled a simple pass to him that I’m sure many folks didn’t notice. OJ has more highlight tapes of himself running to chest bump or congratulate others for a big play made in several games vs the number of big plays he’s made in his entire NFL career. Shame on him. He’s a product of Saban’s typical “All Pro” offensive line, which can make tightend “Joe the Plumber” look like tightend “Joe the Pro”. Let’s face it, OJ is a bust…go figure.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:03 pm
Bust. Punt.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:05 pm
All of these draft picks, you are selecting a % of success, not anything else.t h e cost Inc l uses development time. Everybody wanted to shoot the gm for drafting t h e fsu kicker. The nest time he drafted matt gay, now an all pro.
So what Howard didn’t work out. Gronk etc was fine
January 31st, 2022 at 8:08 pm
add him to kansas city’s offense with kelsey and mahommes and watch out
January 31st, 2022 at 9:41 pm
OJ will get one more chance due to his draft pedigree.
He flashed briefly before injury, but then Achilles injuries can be career altering if not career ending. He may have lost his athleticism and short area quickness for good.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:56 pm
If he’s getting out-blocked by Cameron Brate then he’s done
January 31st, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Wasted draft pick, good riddance from our team and good luck with another.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:04 am
Has anyone thought about converting oj into a wr? Think about the mismatch opportunities. He runs a 4.5 – 40 can catch and no cornerback could survive his blocks
February 1st, 2022 at 11:45 am
Gronk crushed it. Brate was great in the Super Bowl run. OJ’s lack of success is on him.
THAT SAID …
The Arians admittedly doesn’t create plays for TEs. That was TB12 recreating the playbook. So no, OJ does not fit Arians’ design … but he did TB12’s.
Either way, move on.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:35 pm
Lets be real. Brady just officially retired. Gronk will too now. We have no viable option to Brady. He IS the MVP. With him we are a topv5 team and maybe faves for next years Superbowl. Without him we are contending for a top draft pick. We have a lot of free agents who will take the highest dollar now that Brady isnt there to assure success at the qb position and neither do we have tons of cap space. A firm and heartfelt THANK YOU TO TOM BRADY FOR TWO EXCITING, REWARDING SEASONS. THANKS FOR THE SUPERBOWL. ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT.