Quarterback Tom Brady's decision to relocate to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the team a threat in the NFC South division. The arrival of New England Patriots great Rob Gronkowski just made them even more dangerous. Clinching the division and making it back to the playoffs immediately become basically a foregone conclusion for the team.
Bucs tight end O.J. Howard shared his sentiments on the impact that Gronkowski will have on the squad:
‘‘We’ve got a room full of talent, mismatches, guys all over the board,” Howard said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I think coach [Bruce Arians] and Byron [Leftwich] are going to do a great job of just putting us in positions to make plays.
“Just being on the field with [Gronkowski] . . . it’s just hard to stop that. It’s going to open up a lot of things for everyone, and I think it should be real fun.”
Fourth-year player O.J. Howard out of Alabama had a respectable rookie campaign for the Buccaneers a few years ago. However, a couple of injuries slowed him down which caused his numbers to regress in his second season. He contributed 34 receptions for 459 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown through 14 games played last season.
The arrival of a player in the caliber of Gronkowski will only elevate the level of play in the Bucs' tight end room. Other members of the position group include Howard, rookie Cameron Brate, and fourth-year player Antony Auclair.
The reloaded Buccaneers team is primed to deal damage to the rest of the league. It's up to the players to live up to the hype.