Howard is signing with the Bills on a one-year, $3.5 million deal worth up to $5 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports, per a source.
Analysis: Howard has never quite lived up to his first-round pedigree, much of that due to some injury-plagued seasons, but this is a good landing spot for Phase 2 of his NFL career. Dawson Knox is the clear-cut No. 1 in Buffalo, but if anything were to put Knox on the shelf, Howard has the skillset to thrive in such a high-powered offense. Even with Knox on the field, the Bills have very little behind him, so Howard should see some targets even as he's getting his feet wet with his new squad.
O.J. Howard One catch in season-ending loss
Howard brought in his sole target for seven yards during the Buccaneers' 30-27 loss to the Rams in their NFC divisional-round matchup Sunday.
Analysis: In what may have been his last game in a Buccaneers uniform, Howard primarily filled his usual blocking role over his 11 snaps on offense. The fifth-year tight end now heads into an offseason of uncertainty, as Tampa Bay has essentially shown no interest in retaining the 27-year-old despite having invested the 19th overall pick in him back in 2017. If Howard does indeed suit up elsewhere in 2022, he'll finish his Bucs career with just 25 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns on 40 targets over 21 games across the last two seasons.
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