Are the Bucs wasting O.J. Howard?

Does O.J. Howard have a future in Bruce Arians' offense?

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed Alabama tight end O.J. Howard with the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, many believed it to be a huge steal. 

Howard's rare combination of size and athleticism made him a big-play machine for the Crimson Tide, even if their run-heavy offense didn't take full advantage of it all the time.

Is Howard finding himself in a similar situation under new Bucs head coach Bruce Arians?

Despite dealing with injuries throughout his first two seasons in the league, Howard has still flashed incredible potential, averaging over 16 yards per catch and hauling in 11 touchdown receptions in just 24 games over that stretch.

But two games into his third season, Howard might be finding himself in the doghouse with the new coaching staff.

In a Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Howard had four receptions for 32 yards, but had a key fumble in the red zone, and had another easy catch bounce off his hands for an interception. In Thursday night's big road win over the Carolina Panthers, Howard didn't even see a single target, let alone register any catches or yards on the stat sheet.

When asked about Howard's struggles after Thursday's game, Arians told the media to go to the source (via Pewter Report):

“You’re going to have to ask him. He’s got so much talent and he can play a heck of a lot better than he’s playing.”

There's no denying Howard's talent and potential, but after injuries slowed him in his first two campaigns, it appears he's still got some hurdles to clear if he wants to live up to the hype.