O.J. Howard Is Back On The Street
August 30th, 2022
“Cam, Juice, let’s talk.”
“Juice,” as Tom Brady calls him, is on the loose.
Joe’s referring to O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay’s first-round pick in 2017. He was cut by the Bills today, the team that signed him when he hit free agency in the spring.
Like he was in Tampa, Howard was slow to learn the playbook in Buffalo, per various reports. Whether that’s a fair assessment or not is irrelevant to Joe. Howard is a free man and the question is whether Brady wants him.
If he does, Joe wouldn’t want to be rookie tight end Ko Kieft this morning.
No, Brady doesn’t run the Bucs’ front office, but he has influence — big-time influence when it comes to pass catchers.
Howard played in every Bucs game last season coming off Achilles surgery. He had 14 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
August 30th, 2022 at 8:56 am
Thought it was an achilles tear?
August 30th, 2022 at 9:00 am
It would be irresponsible for the Bucs to cut Kieft in favor of OJ Howard. Howard is a bust and we know who he is. Kieft has far more upside.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:01 am
Enough, unless he unseats Rudolph, I don’t wanna him in Tampa.
Go Bucs!
August 30th, 2022 at 9:02 am
Out of the NFL – where he belongs…
Wasted draft pick – we were the only ones dumb enough to take the bait.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:02 am
Yeah, it was an Achilles tear, which is a more severe injury than an ACL tear.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:03 am
And if they bring in OJ and put Kieft on the PS, someone will pick him off. Don’t you think Joe?
No clue. Again, if Brady wants the guy, then what? ‘Sorry Tom, we need a fullback.’ –Joe
August 30th, 2022 at 9:05 am
Amazing how many guys on our roster last year aren’t on a team. JPP, suh, adams, oj, mclendon, and more im sure
August 30th, 2022 at 9:06 am
No thanks
August 30th, 2022 at 9:07 am
Is OJ better than Rudolph?
August 30th, 2022 at 9:07 am
You are making a good point here. During the lost decade the Bucs were the team that would sign those kind of guys. It’s good to be the kind of team that releases/not sign those guys.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:11 am
OJ looked pretty good, albeit briefly, with Brady right before that ACL rupture. NFL players can survive an ACL tear if they’re big uglies; for the skill players it can be career ending or at least career altering. As a TE, OJ could have survived the injury with extensive rehab, time, and enhancing his value by becoming a better blocker, but it doesn’t look like the took that route.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:11 am
OJ Howard is the Trent Richardson of TEs
August 30th, 2022 at 9:12 am
Pass. He always injured. Better get OLine help
August 30th, 2022 at 9:12 am
NO way, OJ….. he is done
August 30th, 2022 at 9:16 am
D-Rome- Great point!
As to OJ…moving on!
August 30th, 2022 at 9:21 am
Cade Otton > Ko Kieft > OJ > Kyle Rudolph
August 30th, 2022 at 9:30 am
The real juice is already loose
August 30th, 2022 at 9:32 am
I hope I’m wrong, but I thought Kyle Rudolph was a wasted $1.5 million from the moment the ink dried.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:33 am
If Brady wants him, I’d like to know why.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:33 am
Can he play special teams? Is he better than Rudolph?
August 30th, 2022 at 9:39 am
That’s unfortunate for him. He was looking really good before that Achilles injury. Hopefully that wasn’t a career ending injury.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:39 am
Kyle Rudolph is a proven former All-Pro who is currently healthy…
OJ is not.
Moving on – however, if TB12 wants OJ that bad perhaps he ends up on the PS at some point.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:41 am
i’d say the oj experiment is over, and now they will experiment for a minute with rudolph…
also in the above photo, tom seems to almost be snarling at oj…
more so, i’m amazed to see tommy b rocking an “almost pompadour doo” like he’s in the movie grease…it’s wild
August 30th, 2022 at 9:42 am
No hands
August 30th, 2022 at 9:42 am
Thank goodness the Bucs did well in getting Cam Brate and bringing in free agents like Tom Brady, Gronk, etc. Missing on two first round draft picks in OJ Howard and Jameis Winston (and wasting other high round picks) could have set back this franchise for a long time. The NFL draft is a gambler’s paradise.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:43 am
If Brady wanted OJ, we would have not cut him this spring…
And, our final WR corps will be 100% Brady approved….so don’t bitch!!!
August 30th, 2022 at 9:44 am
OJ Howard while having top physical traits doesn’t do anything with consistency. He doesn’t block well at all and he doesn’t make tough catches. I’d rather keep Ko Kieft at least he blocks at an elite level.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:47 am
Marine Buc- I don’t believe you can put a veteran player on the practice squad. Maybe I’m wrong but regardless we don’t want OJ and I doubt Bradys even thinking about him unless he’s putting on 80 lbs and moving to Center.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:52 am
@ MJC…
No hands?? Seriosuly?
August 30th, 2022 at 9:55 am
@ TBBF
OJ was a free agent. We didn’t cut him…
August 30th, 2022 at 9:59 am
No need to bring in another TE. Gronk will be itching to Gronk stomp defenders come mid to late season when he realizes we are on a path to another Super Bowl.
August 30th, 2022 at 9:59 am
@ Josh
I believe you can now a days. The PS rules have changed a bit…
August 30th, 2022 at 10:05 am
Rudolph is a better blocker.
OJ is a stiff, figuratively and physically.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:13 am
JJ Howland is better than oj.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:14 am
Weapons are set…Brady will be more worried about protection….Brady should want an olineman
GO BUCS
August 30th, 2022 at 10:18 am
Nope. Bad hands. Unreliable. Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:24 am
Looks like Tarzan plays like Jane. he is toast.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:38 am
I don’t care if Ko ever catches a pass this season. His fierceness in blocking/pass protection (whether on the line or in the backfield) makes him a keeper over OJ, especially with an unproven OLine.
I’d also expect to see him come out of the backfield on play action for some quick grabs over the middle.
OJ will find a team. Maybe the Lions? Lol
August 30th, 2022 at 11:16 am
I just don’t see Brady clambering for oj lol that just seems silly. I had thought tj might be cut he is just too slow do they keep Miller now hmm guess we will find out.
August 30th, 2022 at 11:21 am
He’ll be back!!!
Just wait and see.
If Brady nudges Licht to bring him back, It will happen.
It also gives Licht a chance to salvage a 2nd round wasted draft
Pick. Licht would love to see OJ become the
NFL’s comeback player of the year.
August 30th, 2022 at 11:27 am
Unless OJ > Rudolf in the eyes of Licht/Bowles/Lefty/Brady, he won’t be a Buc.
August 30th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
OJ Howard simply isn’t the same player. He had excellent athleticism in his favor, and that appears gone. The Bills rolled the dice on him due to his draft pedigree. The roll ended up snake eyes.
Now if the Bucs want to roll the dice on a TE with a draft pedigree, they could claim or trade for Devin Asiasi. New England traded up into the early third round to draft him a couple of years ago and have nothing but IR to show for it. New England stinks at WR, they might have an interest in Tyler Johnson. It’s a gamble: maybe Asiasi has been unlucky, or maybe he’s just brittle.
August 30th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
What an overrated bum. It’s a shame we didn’t do enough research on the guy to understand why everyone else was letting him drop and instead just said oh looky here at this world beater talent that fell right in our laps! Everyone else knew the guy was not a good receiver. The worst part is there were some really good players we passed on to draft this bum.
August 30th, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Ko Kieft doesn’t have to worry. If they wanted Howard back, it would be at the expense of Kyle Rudolph who has had a very quiet camp and preseason.
August 30th, 2022 at 1:54 pm
The best ‘catch’ HE ever had was a foul ball during that Rays Postseason Game… One of the very few, too. Period.
August 30th, 2022 at 2:39 pm
Sign him. He did a good job as a blocker last year and knows the offense. I’d much rather have OJ back than a washed up and useless Kyle Rudolph.
August 30th, 2022 at 6:15 pm
I don’t understand how anyone could consider bringing in Oj Howard. He’s a bust that Tampa didn’t want anymore. That guy fleeced this team for millions of dollars. The only positive thing people had to say about him was he had all this “potential”.
You just wait until he’s healthy!! They would say. OJ’s gonna light up the league this year!
August 30th, 2022 at 6:49 pm
JeffreyLane77 – You need to look at more than box scores. Last year, the team primarily used OJ as a blocker, and was fine. He also still, or at least I think he does, still have speed to stretch defenses, something that none of the other TEs on the roster can do. It’s not all that important with this roster, but if you watched Rudolph in the preseason, the guy wasn’t even remotely close to getting open when he was targeted, looks incredibly slow. We’re talking about OJ vs Rudolph, not talking about cutting one of the draft picks for him. If the team keeps 4 TEs, I’d much rather have a guy that already knows the offense and doesn’t look like he’s got cinder blocks wrapped around his ankles.
August 30th, 2022 at 11:44 pm
Craziness bringing him back in. We’d have to give up one of the kids and lose Howland off the PS. Do we really want to take the chance that someone else will grab them up just to give OJ a shot? I wouldn’t think so
August 31st, 2022 at 12:00 am
Totally agree with BucsfanFred-JJ Howland is better.