Five Trades that should happen before the NFL trade deadline

3. TE O.J. Howard to New England for 2020 4th round pick, 2021 5th round pick

The New England Patriots have a need for a tight end since Rob Gronkowski decided to retire at the end of last season. They do have Ben Watson but he is 38-years old and they need a tight end that can catch the ball in the open field.

O.J. Howard is only in his third year in the NFL and has had two successful seasons in Tampa Bay, but this year he is not fitting into Bruce Arians’ offensive play calling. He has been held out of the end zone through six games so far and going to the Patriots should benefit both sides.

Howard has 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns throughout his short career and Bill Belichick would utilize a tight end of his caliber. Other tight ends to watch New England go after are Hunter Henry from the Chargers or Austin Hooper from the Falcons. Both tight ends are on the last year of their deals, to pry Hooper away may become a challenge as the Falcons would likely want a lump sum for him.

A.J. Green may not be the only trade candidate for the Cincinnati Bengals to be on the move. Tyler Eifert has been mentioned in the last few days and gives the Patriots another name out on the market. There is no shortage of tight ends available and I expect the Patriots to continue to be active in adding a tight end before Tuesday.

The Patriots likely have a championship-caliber team in place and adding a tight end like Howard could be the missing piece. I believe Howard would be the best of the bunch available to the Patriots. Either two mid-round picks or a third-round pick should be enough to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at least consider making a move.