Miami Dolphins fans are widely split on the team’s current situation with cornerback Xavien Howard. On a Dolphins team that has been sorely lacking in star power over the last decade, Howard is coming off one of the most dominant single-season performances we’ve seen in South Florida over that stretch. And while he’ll turn 28-years old in July, that’s still young enough for many to consider him a valuable piece of a potential winning-window for a Dolphins team that has spent the last 3 offseasons building a roster to be a legitimate contender.
Miami will not likely be eager to pay Howard a raise — but Howard isn’t likely to back down, either. The next step for Howard’s camp could well be a trade request; and if you thought Dolphins fans were split on whether or not to pay him, wait until the question shifts to whether or not to trade him.
But if Howard ultimately requests a trade due to a lack of action on his contract renegotiations and if the Dolphins decide to follow through on it, which team is currently getting a lot of buzz to be the one to step up and make a move?
There’s a whole lot of suggestions that the NFC’s Arizona Cardinals made the call. Arizona parted ways with veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson this offseason and made little effort to ensure they actually upgraded the group, so they have a desperate need for quality cornerbacks in a highly competitive division in the NFC West. The Rams own Matt Stafford at quarterback and boast Sean McVay as the coach. The 49ers just drafted Trey Lance at No. 3 overall and boast Kyle Shanahan as the coach. And the Seahawks have the trio of Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Sounds like a great division to not have Malcolm Butler, rookie Tay Gowan and Byron Murphy as your top three quarterbacks; but yet that’s exactly where Arizona sits. And with a familiar face at defensive coordinator in former Dolphins DC Vance Joseph, there’s a common link between Howard’s time in Miami and his potential landing spot in Arizona.
The Cardinals and Dolphins have done business together recently before. Remember the Josh Rosen trade? That featured some notable trade chips being exchanged — although this trade with Cardinals general manager Steve Keim would require much bigger pieces to get done.
Save the 2nd-round pick suggestions for compensation. That’s a senseless deal for Miami.
The Dolphins have four years of contractual commitments from Howard and to trade him for a fraction of what he’s worth as a talent, even with his long-term concerns due to knee injuries, doesn’t make sense for Miami. The Dolphins’ willingness to trade Howard is going to come down to a team blowing them away, much like the Texans blew away Miami in their offer for Laremy Tunsil.
But don’t get greedy, Dolphins fans, setting the bar that high for Howard feels overly optimistic. But if Arizona does indeed want to come knocking, Chris Grier’s rebuttal can be quite simple.
“We know you need him. So knock our socks off and let’s go from there.”