O.J. Howard Trade Rumors: 'Distinct' Chance at Patriots Move After Gronk Deal

After trading Rob Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, the New England Patriots could call back to see if they wanted to strike a deal involving a different tight end.  

Per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, there is a "distinct possibility" that O.J. Howard ends up playing for the Patriots. 

New England was unable to find a suitable replacement for Gronkowski last year. Ben Watson and Matt LaCosse combined for 30 receptions, 304 yards and one touchdown in 2019. 

LaCosse and Ryan Izzo are the top two tight ends on the Patriots roster. 

Howard's future became uncertain in the wake of Gronkowski joining the Buccaneers. It wouldn't be too hard for any team to fit him into the salary cap since he only counts $3.53 million against the 2020 cap, per Spotrac. 

The Bucs might be able to extract good value by trading Howard right now because of his low salary and age. He's 25 years old and is only three years removed from being the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. 

Even though Howard hasn't lived up to the hype that comes with being a first-round pick, it's not hard to see why a team like the Patriots could be intrigued by his potential. The Alabama alum is listed at 6'6", 251 pounds and caught 11 touchdowns in 24 games over his first two seasons.