Free agent TE O.J. Howard.
The Cleveland Browns have finalized the first edition of their 53-man roster but more moves could be on the way, with former first-round pick TE OJ Howard being eyed as a potential addition.
Howard was selected by the Buccaneers with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2017 draft but never reached his potential in Tampa Bay. He recorded 119 catches for 1,737 yards and 15 touchdowns in five seasons with the Bucs.
Howard inked a one-year, $3.5 million contract in Buffalo this offseason — with $3.195 million guaranteed — but his lackluster camp and preseason didn’t earn him a spot on the final 53-man roster.
That being said, Howard could still catch on somewhere. At 6-foot-6 and 251 pounds with speed — running a 4.51 40-yard dash at the combine — he has the athleticism to hang in the NFL if it’s the right situation. The Browns could present that and have some interest in adding him to the tight end room, per Brad Stainbrook of ESPN Cleveland.
“The belief by some is the Browns will chase TE OJ Howard,” Stainbrook tweeted, citing league sources.
The belief by some is the #Browns will chase TE O. J. Howard, per a league source.
Howard Would be Interesting Alongside David Njoku
The Browns have a very tight-end-friendly system. Head coach Kevin Stefanski — who is also the offensive play caller — used multiple tight ends 57 percent of the time, which was a league-high.
David Njoku and Harrison Bryant were the only tight ends named to the 53-man roster, so it makes sense that the Browns would be in the market for an additional body.
“Again, I think with that 53, it is a puzzle,” Stefanski said on Tuesday. “You are trying to put it together as best you can. Really, it is our job with (GM) Andrew (Berry), the personnel staff and the coaches to talk about how we want to play, what we need and where we are going. Those are tough decisions to make. You would love to keep everybody. As we know, you can’t.”
Cleveland parted ways with Austin Hooper in the offseason after inking him to a hefty free agent deal in 2020, opening the door for Njoku to take over the TE1 spot.
Similar to Howard, Njoku came into the league as an athletic freak but had to work on his craft, becoming a better all-around contributor. After some down seasons and even requesting a trade, Njoku finished last season with the third-most receiving yards among Browns players, with 475 yards on 36 receptions — a solid 13.2 average. He also led the team in receiving touchdowns with four and his 71-yard touchdown catch and run against the Chargers was the longest of the season for the Browns.
Howard would come on the cheap and could take a path similar to Njoku’s. He wouldn’t be thrown into a huge role with Njoku and Harrison taking up the majority of the reps but could turn into a contributor down the line.
Browns Cut Former First-Round QB Josh Rosen
The Browns did take a gamble on another first-round pick in Josh Rosen but parted ways with former top 10 selection in the final wave of cuts on Tuesday. Rosen was signed prior to camp to compete for the third spot on the Browns’ QB depth chart, which would serve as the primary backup during the year to Jacoby Brissett with Deshaun Watson suspended for the first 11 games of the season.
That role will go to Joshua Dobbs, who was a preseason darling for Cleveland. Dobbs stepped up when his number has been called, completing 35 of 53 attempts over three preseason games, notching 339 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also has collected 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
There were rampant rumors about the Browns possibly pursuing Jimmy Garoppolo to replace Brissett as the starter but the 49ers put to bed any of that talk when they inked him to a restructured deal on Monday to remain in San Francisco.
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Browns Eyeing Move for Former First-Round Pass-Catcher