O.J.

Howard

Howard, a former first round pick by the Bucs, continues to bounce around the league while never fully recovering from a 2020 Achilles tear. The Raiders will roll with rookie Michael Mayer and Austin Hooper as their top-two tight ends headed into the regular season. Mayer was the 35th selection in the 2023 NFL Draft after a productive career at Notre Dame.

If not for a torn Achilles suffered in 2020, we could be talking about this signing with a bit more optimism. Instead, the Raiders signing Howard is a bit peculiar given that Foster Moreau -- who is fresh off a career year (33-420-2) -- is still floating around in free agency. Since returning from his Achilles injury, Howard has managed just 24 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns over the last two seasons and was cut by the Bills last offseason before landing with the Texans. Given his injury history and recent lack of production, it’s hard to imagine entering next season as the Raiders’ TE1. Even if he does win the starting job, there’s little reason to view him as anything more than a low-end TE2 for fantasy purposes.

Darren Waller is now a Giant, and Foster Moreau remains a free agent, leaving the Raiders thin at the tight end position. It’s unlikely the former first-round pick offers starting-caliber play at this point in his career, after posting a 24-280-3 receiving line over the last two seasons. Howard averaged over 485 yards per season during his first three years in the league, but a torn Achilles suffered in 2020 quickly derailed what was looking to be a promising career. Howard led all qualified tight ends with a 12.3 aDOT his rookie season, proving to be a legitimate downfield threat when healthy. However, we’ve yet to see anything close to that level of production since his injury.

Signed after his Bills contract dissolved in training camp, Howard managed a two-touchdown opener to briefly excite fantasy managers about his past potential. He never again went over 38 yards or caught a touchdown, and was a healthy scratch at times down the stretch. The 28-year-old is just depth at this point of his career. Teagan Quitoriano will work as the main blocking tight end in Howard’s absence.

Akins has seven catches over the past three weeks as a rotational tight end in the Houston offense. He ran just nine routes and caught both of his targets last week against Jacksonville. With O.J. Howard splitting snaps and routes, no Houston tight end is fantasy viable for now.

The Texans targeted tight ends just four times all game as their heavy packages were mostly played off the field in the first half. Howard hits the Week 6 bye capable of random explosions in perfect game situations, but in an offense that has consistently been hard to trust.

22 of them came on a leaping effort that looked to be a wild overthrow from Davis Mills before Howard contorted and caught it. Jordan Akins out-gained Howard 33-27 from the practice squad, but on two fewer targets. None of Houston’s tight ends, regardless of the health of Pharaoh Brown and Brevin Jordan, are more than desperation DFS dart throws.

Both touchdowns came on seam routes. The first was probably Davis Mills’ best throw of the game, looped over an underneath defender perfectly. On the second, Colts LB Bobby Okereke got sucked up in a play-action fake, leaving Howard wide open. He’s not a particularly good bet to sustain this level of fantasy success and won’t be a recommended play against the Broncos in Week 2.

Howard couldn’t crack the Bills’ loaded 53-man roster, and the Bengals passed on an expected deal after claiming Devin Asiasi off waivers. Translation, it wasn’t the most impressive summer for the 27-year-old, but he has landed in an extremely thin tight end group. Second-year pro Brevin Jordan seems in line for a large snap share, but there isn’t much standing between Howard and some legitimate playing time if the Texans are satisfied with his conditioning. Howard was reportedly “not quick” as a route runner in Bills camp. He is off the TE2 radar for the time being.

Howard had been primed to sign with the Bengals, but they claimed Devin Asiasi off waivers instead. By all accounts, Howard had an uninspiring camp with the Bills, but he is still only 27 years old and provides a big 6-foot-6 frame in the red zone.