The New England Patriots traded future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, reuniting Tom Brady with his favorite target since 2010.
The Patriots will receive a fourth-round pick from Tampa Bay.
The easiest way for the Buccaneers to recoup their lost draft capital (they did receive a seventh-rounder from the Patriots, too) is to trade former first-round tight end O.J. Howard, who's been rumored to be on the trade block most of the offseason.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
With the Bears still needing a field-stretching pass catcher at the position, it's worthwhile to question whether GM Ryan Pace should swoop in for the former Alabama standout.
Howard hasn't made the kind of impact with the Buccaneers that was expected when he was the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. His best season came in 2018 when he totaled 34 catches for 565 yards and five touchdowns. And while he did have the same number of receptions in 2019, his yardage total dropped to 469, and he scored just one touchdown. It was a bad first year with coach Bruce Arians, and the trade for Gronkowski is proof that the team doesn't view him as a long-term answer.
RELATED: Could Jalen Hurts end up on the Bears?
The asking price for Howard should be reasonable. With Gronkowski pulling just a fourth-rounder (sure, he was out of football last year, but he's Gronk), it's safe to assume Howard can be had for, say, a fifth-round selection. That asking price could go up if multiple teams want him, but if it ends up being in that range, the Bears should pull the trigger despite Graham's big contract and unreasonable expectations.
NFL
Howard's contract makes him a sensible target, too. His cap figure for 2020 is just $3.53 million, per Spotrac, and if a deal gets done before May 4, a fifth-year option is a possibility.
A tight end room with O.J. Howard and Jimmy Graham would suddenly transform from a weakness to a strength. Howard would provide Matt Nagy with the kind of (potentially) elite playmaker who can threaten even the most talented linebackers and safeties with his blend of route-running and top-end speed. He's a stud, and the Bears need more studs.
If Tampa Bay is willing to part ways with Howard, Pace will have a chance to flip a Day-3 pick into a high-impact starter. It's rare for an opportunity like that to present itself, and the Bears would be foolish to let it slip by.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of the Bears.