Chicago Bears: Tight ends to trade for in offseason

1. O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A 2017 first-round pick that was once looked at as being the next big thing in the NFL at the tight end position, O.J. Howard is a name that the Bears need to keep an eye on. Howard is six-foot-six and weighs 251 pounds. His size alone is a major reason that he could operate from the slot and end up being the tight end that transforms the Bears offense.

When looking at what Howard has been able to do so far, in just three seasons, he’s got 94 receptions for 1456 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 15.5 yards per reception. While most will look at the one touchdown he had in 2019 and be discouraged, his decline in production was more due to learning a new offense and shaky quarterback play.

As of right now, Howard would end up costing the Bears a second-round pick and more. The key thing, however, will be the second-round pick that Tampa Bay wants in return. Since the Bears are slated to pick at 43rd and 50th overall, the Buccaneers will likely want the higher of the two picks. What the Bears could do is add a player like Roy Robertson-Harris to the deal in order to really make such a trade package enticing for Tampa Bay.

Howard will be one of the more expensive players to trade for in terms of compensation but he’s definitely worth it because he would come in and have an instant impact that would get rid of some of the Bears offensive woes.