Getty O.J. Howard makes a catch during Buffalo Bills minicamp.
The Buffalo Bills didn’t have many surprises at training camp last year, entering with a well-rounded team and making few big changes to the roster at final cutdowns.
The lone exception was tight end O.J. Howard, one of the team’s biggest offseason additions and was at one point expected to fill a significant void behind starter Dawson Knox. Though the Bills took some criticism for Howard’s release, the move appeared to be justified as he went on to join the Houston Texans and had little impact.
Now, an insider predicts that Howard could once again be headed to a surprise release — one that could signal a significant downturn for his career.
O.J. Howard in Roster Peril
Howard was one of the most high-profile signings for the Bills last offseason, and his release was a costly one. The Bills had signed Howard to a one-year, $3.5-million contract, one that was fully guaranteed and left them with $2.6 million in dead cap space last season, reporter Jon Scott tweeted.
After being released by the Bills at their final roster cutdown just before the season started, Howard signed with the Texans and had a hot start to the season. He made two catches for 38 yards in the season opener with the Texans, with both catches going for touchdowns. It was the first and only multi-touchdown game for Howard in his career.
Jerry Hughes’ interception helped lead to this touchdown for former #Bills tight end O.J. Howard. What a day for former Bills.
But it was largely downhill from there for Howard, as he ended the season with 10 total catches for 145 yards. He never caught another touchdown after the opening game.
Now, just a little more than a year after he appeared poised to play a significant role in Buffalo’s offense, Howard signed with the Las Vegas Raiders but could once again find himself struggling to make an NFL roster. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identified Howard as one of the league’s top veterans who could be on the roster bubble.
As Knox noted, Howard will be competing with fellow veteran Austin Hooper and rookie Michael Mayer to replace standout Darren Waller, who was traded to the New York Giants.
“To secure a roster spot, Howard will have to prove he’s one of the three best tight end options, ahead of players like the returning Jesper Horsted and undrafted rookie John Samuel Shenker, and perhaps show that he can contribute on special teams,” Knox wrote.
“It’s perhaps an unfamiliar position for the 2017 first-round pick, who has 56 career starts on his resume. After catching only 10 passes for 145 yards with the Houston Texans last season, however, Howard could be fighting just to stick in Las Vegas in the coming weeks.”
If he should be released again, Howard could face an uncertain NFL future as he had fewer than 150 total yards in each of the last three seasons of his career.
Bills Make Bigger Investment in Tight Ends
After releasing Howard, the Bills once again struggled to find production from their tight ends beyond Knox, with their other right ends making just nine combined catches for 91 yards and one touchdown. The Bills made an even bigger attempt to upgrade this offseason, trading up in the first round of the NFL Draft to select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.
The move made one important member of the Bills very happy. Quarterback Josh Allen said afterward that he had pushed general manager Brandon Beane to select tight end.
Found ourselves a playmaker. 😈 #NFLDraft
“I didn’t think he’d be there by the time we were picking,” Allen said of Kincaid. “We’ll just say I was persistent in my talks with Beane and who I wanted. I was very, very happy with how it happened.”