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

2. New England Patriots

With Rob Gronkowski gone, the Patriots had a void they simply did not fill at tight end last year. When Howard was theoretically available at last year’s trade deadline, they had some interest in him before reportedly being rebuffed by the Buccaneers.

As speculation about Gronkowski unretiring to join Tom Brady in Tampa Bay has started to percolate, a trade of either Howard or Cameron Brate to New England to make room on the tight end depth chart is the obvious residual move.

But even without the idea Gronk would come out of retirement and force Bill Belichick’s hand, the Patriots need to upgrade the set of targets surrounding presumptive new starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Howard is young, with two years of contract control left and untapped upside. That reeks of someone the Patriots would want, even though he has missed at least two games in each of his first three NFL seasons.