After meeting with him on Monday, the Raiders officially signed free-agent TE O.J. Howard. The Raiders have been in the market for a tight end over the last week after trading away Darren Waller to the Giants for a third-round pick.
Plus, with Foster Moreau gaining a lot of interest around the league, the Raiders needed to add a veteran to the unit at some point. The news of his visit and signing was first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
OJ Howard has now signed with the #Raiders. https://t.co/gwsgqRIof6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 20, 2023
Howard isn’t much of a receiver at this stage of his career, but he can function as a blocker and as a red-zone threat. Expect him to be paired with a draft pick this year as the Raiders rebuild their tight end room.
Howard was a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2017 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 72 games during his NFL career, totaling 1,882 yards and 17 touchdowns. Howard will turn 29 years old during the 2023 NFL season.