Howard sizes up chance to stabilize career
The first thing Dare Ogunbowale noticed about O.J. Howard when he first saw him more than six years ago was his size.
Ogunbowale, a 5-foot-11, 215pound running back, was playing for the University of Wisconsin at the time. And here was Howard, a 6-6, 250-pound tight end at Alabama, who could move like a receiver.
“I was shocked in college when I saw how big he was,” Ogunbowale said with a laugh.
The two played together for Tampa Bay for two years early in their NFL careers, and now they’re back together in Houston. The Texans have been searching for another weapon at tight end throughout training camp, especially after Teagan Quitoriano went on injured reserve. They tried to address it by trading for Adam Shaheen from the Dolphins, but he failed his physical and reverted back to Miami’s roster.
Meanwhile, Howard, who spent the entire offseason with the Buffalo Bills, was released Aug. 30 as part of their final roster cuts.
So the Texans signed Howard to a one-year deal.
“You’re always trying to add good players, simple as that, and O.J. (Howard) is a good player,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “That’s a spot we’ve talked an awful lot about, adding some depth to the tight end position. Being able to pick up a player like that late in the game like this, is pretty important.”
Howard said he was excited when he got the call from the Texans that they wanted him. All offseason, he figured he’d be with the Bills, but then they released him. For a while he said he was unsure of what was next.
“It was tough because you went through five months with an organization learning their terminology, and trying to get ready to play for them, then all of a sudden you’re at home with uncertainty, like ‘Damn, what team am I going to go to now?’” Howard said.
Howard gives the Texans another big red-zone target and another pass-catcher. The Texans were lacking in that department in 2021. They scored a touchdown on only 51.3 percent of their red zone trips, which ranked 27th in the league. Tight ends Brevin Jordan and Pharaoh Brown combined for 43 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
To put it simply, the Texans need more than that, and Howard could potentially provide it.
Howard, a 2017 first-round draft pick, spent the first five years of his career with the Buccaneers. He had 26 catches for 432 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie.
But he’s dealt with multiple injuries throughout his five-year career, including a torn Achilles in Week 4 of the 2020 season, that have slowed his production. Howard said he felt he was playing some of his best football before the Achilles injury. The Bucs also went on to win a Super Bowl that year.
The 2021 season was the first time Howard played a full season, something he sees as a step in the right direction — even if the stats didn’t show it. He said that year was more so about getting back into the groove of things and training himself to run again after the Achilles injury. He said he’s ready to be a factor now.
“I just want to put together back-to-back full seasons,” Howard said. “This year I want to be a big contributor and help the team that I’m on be successful. That narrative about the injury bug and ‘this guy can’t stay healthy,’ goes out the window.”
So far, so good. Howard said he feels healthy, and he’s moved well in practice in the limited time the media has been able to watch.
“We’ve practiced two times with him so far, all has gone well,” Smith said when asked could Howard play Week 1. “He has a history and it’s one thing when you’re a rookie coming in, feeling your way through. He’s played good football in the league. Enjoyed the little bit of time we’ve had the chance to spend with him so far and we’ll see. That’s why this week is important.”
For Howard, this season isn’t so much about proving doubters wrong. He’s trying to prove it to himself. There were a lot of expectations for Howard as a firstround pick coming out of Alabama, and he admits he used to listen to them. But he’s focused on his own journey.
“Each journey of its own is a blessing,” Howard said. “It’s at my pace. I kind of just realized, don’t worry about what everyone says. Block out the noise and stay focused on your journey. (Your journey) is already written, so why worry about it.”
“He’s a great athlete, a great tight end,” Ogunbowale said. “He gets it. He knows what it takes to win football games.”
jonathan.alexander@chron.com twitter.com/jonmalexander