What an O.J. Howard trade would cost the Chicago Bears

If the rumors are true and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considering the idea to trade O.J. Howard, what would it cost the Chicago Bears? Is the trade worth it?

The Chicago Bears are struggling on offense this season. Their offensive line is the biggest concern, followed by some erratic quarterback play. However, one glaring hole the team had coming into the season is still a major concern. I am of course talking about the tight end position.

Trey Burton had an okay season last year, but nothing stellar. He failed to even play against his former team last year in the Wild Card game. Now, he has been a shell of his 2018 self. Whether it is his groin, some other nagging injury or even his anxiety causing the problem, the Chicago Bears are suffering. Matt Nagy’s play-calling is suffering too.

The NFC North is proving to be a much tougher division this year. The Packers are 5-1 thanks to some help from the referees and sit atop of the division. Everyone else is within striking distance, including the Chicago Bears. In order to set themselves apart, could trading for O.J. Howard be an ideal move? Would it cost them too much?

Trades are flowing like a fine wine in the NFL right now as we approach the trade deadline on October 29, 2019. Rumors are coming out that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considering moving on from their 2017 first-round draft pick O.J. Howard.

Here is the thing though, Howard will not come cheap. He was and still is considered one of the best young tight ends coming into the NFL. He has shown flashes but has yet to break out into a top tight end in the league. This is partly due to usage in the Bucs passing game and likely a reason why they are considering moving on from him.

If the Chicago Bears were realistically going to be able to get O.J. Howard, it would cost them at least one of their second-round picks and a player or possibly a 2021 draft pick to pair with it. As we look at prior trades including a tight end we find the following:

The Falcons traded Eric Saubert to the Patriots for a conditional seventh-round pick. Who? Exactly. The Steelers traded for Nick Vannett and sent a fifth-rounder. Howard is exponentially more talented than Vannett. To find a tight end who is remotely close to the potential talent of O.J. Howard and was involved in a trade deal, I had to go back to the Chicago Bears very own Greg Olsen.

Greg Olsen was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2010 for a third-round draft pick. At the time, Olsen had one exceptional year for the Bears and then three solid, but not elite years. Howard has yet to have a breakout year but has been solid with decent yardage and touchdowns each season. With the way trades are going this year though, I wouldn’t expect the Bucs to take a third-rounder.

Not to mention, the Bears do not even have a third-round pick for 2020. My best-educated guess is that the Bears would have to give up one of their second-round picks plus a later pick in 2021. With how hot of a name Howard is on the trade market, that might not even be enough.

Would you give up a 2020 second and say a 2021 fifth for Howard? What about a 2020 second and Adam Shaheen or Nick Kwiatkoski depending on the positional player the Bucs may want in return? Would the Buccaneers even accept an offer like this? Some of the recent trades in the NFL makes me think a first-round pick would need to be included, something the Bears do not have.

If we could see into the future and knew Howard would turn out to have as good of a career after the trade as Greg Olsen has had in Carolina, I’d do the move. Without that guarantee though, I am still on the fence. No matter what, if I am Ryan Pace, I am making that phone call to find out exactly what the Buccaneers are looking for in compensation.