Fansided

5 burning questions the Buccaneers must answer in 2018

By Rucker Haringey

Mandatory Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images /
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TAMPA, FL – MAY 31: O. J. Howard (80) goes up high to make the catch during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers OTA on May 31, 2018 at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – MAY 31: O. J. Howard (80) goes up high to make the catch during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers OTA on May 31, 2018 at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Can O.J. Howard live up to the hype?

When the Buccaneers chose to spend a first round pick on Howard in the first round of the 2017 Draft lots of people questioned whether or not it was the right position for Tampa Bay to address. Few people argued about the type of numbers he could put up from the tight end position.

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers front office, Howard really struggled to live up to the hype as a rookie. He only managed to contribute 26 catches for 432 yards as a rookie. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that he was only targeted 39 times. Howard just didn’t get open enough during his first season as a professional.

In fairness to Howard, Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson do soak up a ton of targets. However, they also should occupy a lot of the defense’s attention. In theory, that should allow Howard to work underneath one on one the majority of the time. He’s certainly got the size and athleticism to dominate those sort of matchups.

Howard certainly has to play better, but the Buccaneers coaching staff also needs to improve their scheme to get the tight end more involved. Allowing a talent like Howard to be an offensive afterthought is a real indictment of the Tampa Bay offensive system. It’s something that must be corrected in 2018.

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