Buccaneers exercise 5th-yr option on tight end Howard
Ex-Jaguars LB Smith charged
TAMPA, Florida, April 30, (AP): The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have picked up the fifth-year option on the contract tight end O.J. Howard signed as a rookie in 2017.
The move Wednesday came a week after the Bucs acquired fourtime All-Pro Rob Gronkowski in a trade from New England, prompting speculation that Howard might be traded to make room for the former Patriots star.
Instead, coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht both said during last week’s draft that they were excited about having three tight ends with the abilities of Gronkowski, Howard and Cameron Brate.
Howard was the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft. He has 94 receptions for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns in three pro seasons.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith was arrested on a charge of having sexual activity with a minor.
The 29-year-old Smith was booked into the Duval County Jail around 5 p.m. and released about five hours later on a $50,003 bond. He had no scheduled court date.
No details or police report was immediately available. According to Florida Statute 794.05, which was the listed charge in the jail log, unlawful sexual activity with certain minors is a second-degree felony and applies to any person age 24 or older who engages in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years old.
Hunter Henry has already signed his franchise tag with the Los Angeles Chargers and the tight end remains optimistic that a long-term extension can still be reached.
Henry said during a conference call that both sides made progress before things were put on pause for draft preparations.
The Chargers must sign Henry to an extension by July 15, or else he would play the upcoming season on a one-year deal worth $11.1 million.
Bryan Cox Jr. acknowledged his father enjoyed playing the villain when it came to antagonizing opponents, the Buffalo Bills in particular.
And yet, the defensive end hopes fans don’t judge him for the actions of Bryan Cox Sr., who never hid his dislike for Buffalo while playing for the AFC rival Miami Dolphins in the 1990s.
That might be easier said than done for the third-year player, given how his father was labeled Pubic Enemy No. 1 in Buffalo for most of his 12 NFL seasons, the first five with Miami.