Dallas Cowboys should move quickly on O.J. Howard trade after Gronkowski deal

The Dallas Cowboys need to act quickly to try and make an O.J. Howard trade happen now that Rob Gronkowski has joined the Buccaneers.

With just days until the 2020 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard was reportedly already on the trade block. After he played a minimal role in Bruce Arians’ first year with the Bucs, teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, among many others, were floated as possible landing spots who could make a deal for the former first-round pick.

But on Tuesday, the possibility of landing Howard became much more realistic. The Buccaneers agreed to a shocking trade as they lured Rob Gronkowski out of retirement and then executed a trade with the Patriots that reunites Gronk with their new quarterback, some guy named Tom Brady.

Gronk’s return to football and now joining the Buccaneers makes O.J. Howard even more expendable. And that’s something that the Dallas Cowboys should be more than willing to jump at the opportunity with.

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Though Dallas re-signed Blake Jarwin this offseason, that deal is incentive-laden because the young tight end has yet to prove he can be the guy. Moreover, Jarwin doesn’t hold a candle to Howard in terms of raw talent.

The fact that the current Bucs tight end hasn’t fully materialized isn’t totally his fault. He enjoyed a solid first two years in the league with 60 catches for 997 yards and 11 touchdowns in 24 games. However, it was Arians’ offense that basically had no use for a heavily featured tight end that really caused him some trouble.

Frankly, the Cowboys should have been in on a high-upside distressed asset like O.J. Howard before the Gronkowski trade. But after it, the value will never be better for Dallas. The Buccaneers cost themselves a lot of leverage by landing Gronk before dealing Howard, which means that the former first-round pick could potentially be had for something like a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

For what Howard could potentially bring to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense under new head coach Mike McCarthy and head coach Kellen Moore, a Day 3 pick would be worth it. And if they want to make it happen, they must act fast. The value will never be better to make a deal happen.