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Are Bucs dangling tight end O.J. Howard as trade bait prior to NFL draft?

Tampa Bay is shopping the 2017 first-round draft pick, according to a report, possibly for an elite offensive lineman in the draft.
 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard warms up prior to a game against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 17, 2019, at Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard warms up prior to a game against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 17, 2019, at Raymond James Stadium. [ MARK LOMOGLIO | AP ]
Published April 16, 2020

TAMPA — Could the Bucs be shopping tight end O.J. Howard to test his trade value leading up to next week’s NFL draft?

That’s what former NFL executive and current analyst Michael Lombardi said he heard and reported on his podcast, The GM Shuffle With Michael Lombardi and Adnan Virk, on Tuesday.

“I get a phone call ... from somebody in the league saying, ‘Look, I don’t think Howard is going to be on the team,” Lombardi said. “They’re trying to trade him. They wanted a second-round pick for him at the (trade) deadline and nobody wanted to give it.”

The timing is interesting. The Bucs have until May 3 to pick up Howard’s fifth-year option. Howard was the subject of trade interest just before the deadline last season. The Patriots were among the teams that reportedly had interest in him, but a deal never materialized.

Related: Could the Bucs deal tight end O.J. Howard at the trade deadline?

Howard struggled last season, his first in coach Bruce Arians’ offense, finishing with 34 catches for 459 yards in 14 games. His year was likely most remembered for some untimely drops and fumbles early in the season. Howard’s 13.5 yards per reception marked a career low, and he caught just one touchdown pass after having 11 combined in his first two seasons after being the No. 19 overall pick out of Alabama. Howard came on toward the end of the 2019 season, making 16 catches in his final four games.

But going into this season, Howard, 25, would appear primed for a rebound year. New quarterback Tom Brady loves to utilize his tight ends, and the Bucs have a premier pass catching duo at the position in Howard and Cameron Brate, whom the Bucs were able to keep with a restructured contract last month.

Related: Report: Bucs among teams looking to trade up for a tackle

Could the Bucs be floating Howard in order to move up from their No. 14 position in the draft’s first round? According to a Sports Illustrated report earlier this week, Tampa Bay is one of several teams looking to trade up.

For the Bucs, trading up likely would allow them their choice among the four elite offensive tackles in the draft instead of having to settle for whichever one’s remaining at No. 14.

“I think Howard is a great name, but I think there’s an instinctive issue going on and I think he’s going to be available,” Lombardi said. “It would not surprise me is he was traded on draft day or before.”

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.