O.J. Howard is on the trade block, and these teams need to phone the Bucs

3. Houston Texans

Until Bill O’Brien shows any restraint in making trades, the other 31 general managers around the league should have him on speed dial. But in this case, the Texans making a deal for Howard actually makes a high level of sense.

The Texans, or more specifically Deshaun Watson, squeezed seven touchdowns and 10 yards per catch out of tight end Darren Fells last year. Even No. 2 tight end Jordan Akins averaged 11.6 yards per catch last year, with a long of 53 yards.

In a down year last year Howard averaged 13.5 yards per catch, and he’s averaging 15.5 yards per catch for his career thus far. He’s also 25 years old, and making peanuts this year ($1.97 million base salary) with a fifth-year option looming.

Houston is trying to replace DeAndre Hopkins with volume (Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, a rookie?) more than talent. An upgrade at tight end could be on the radar, and it’s worth noting Watson targeted Fells and Akins a total of 103 times in 2019. If Howard were to take over the majority of a similar target share, say 60-70 targets, the Texans’ offense could find an untapped ceiling.