According to Mike Garafolo, the Miami Dolphins are going to release four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard at the start of the league year. Everybody knows that the NFL is a business, and today’s news is yet another reminder of how quickly the window of opportunity closes on players in the National Football League.
The #Dolphins have informed CB Xavien Howard he will be released at the start of the league year, sources tell me and @PSchrags. The four-time Pro Bowl selection is expected to have significant interest on the market.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 23, 2024
Howard originally joined the Miami Dolphins as a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and made his first Pro Bowl in 2018. However, he truly established himself as an elite cornerback in 2020. Starting in all 16 games, the cornerback finished the season with a league-leading 10 interceptions and 20 passes defended. He followed it up with two more strong seasons before starting to drop off in 2023. The Miami Dolphins decided that this was enough justification to release Xavien Howard, as doing it with a post-June 1st designation will clear up $18.5 million in cap space.
However, just because he’s no longer with the Dolphins doesn’t mean that he won’t find a new NFL home. Garafolo’s report indicates that once the release is official, multiple teams will try and pursue him.
Miami Dolphins Release Xavien Howard, Will Have “Significant Interest” In FA
If Garafolo’s report is to be believed, it appears as though a bidding war could occur for Xavien Howard once his release is official. While he’s no longer worth a $25.9 million cap hit, it’s clear that several teams believe he can still be a helpful player in the correct system.
For what it’s worth, data from Pro Football Focus seems to disagree with this notion. While PFF is not gospel, it’s worth noting that Howard with below-average grades of 55.1 and 59.2 over the past two seasons. The cap number was the driving force behind the Xavien Howard release, but perhaps the Dolphins saw a dropoff.
Regardless, in today’s day and age, it’s never been more important to find someone capable of shutting down an opponent’s top receiver. At his best, Howard was one of the 5-10 cornerbacks capable of matching up with just about anyone. Maybe he’s no longer capable of that level of play, but someone is going to bring in Xavien Howard to see what he can do after his release.
Best Free Agent Fits
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills should benefit from the unexpected rise in the 2024 salary cap. While the team still needs to clear space before becoming cap-compliant, they should be able to make a few moves and be active in free agency. If the Bills finally want to make the most of the Josh Allen Era, they’ll need to improve the defense, and that starts at cornerback. Kaiir Elam never played up to his first-round billing, and who knows how Tre’Davious White will look coming back from a torn Achilles. Even in his current state, Xavien Howard will probably be the best cornerback on this team following his inevitable release.
Green Bay Packers
Joe Barry was a bad defensive coordinator, but the Packers can’t blame all their problems on the former coach. Jaire Alexander has lockdown potential, but the rest of the depth chart is nothing to write home about. Green Bay has one of the youngest rosters in the league, and they could use an established veteran like Xavien Howard after his release. You need good cornerbacks when you share a division with Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and D.J. Moore, so Howard should be an ideal fit.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are going to have a fascinating offseason. With several big-name free agents set to hit the open market, Baltimore will have to make some tough decisions about who to bring back in 2024. Instead of trying to re-sign multiple pass rushers like Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, perhaps the Ravens try to build around their secondary. By having tighter coverage, opposing quarterbacks will have to hold the ball longer, leading to more sacks. Who knows how much money Xavien Howard will get after his release, but there is a decent chance he’ll be a cheaper option than Clowney and Van Noy combined.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders hovered around .500 with Antonio Pierce and Aidan O’Connell last year. Pierce is back and the team should upgrade the quarterback position in the coming months, so it stands to reason this team can make a playoff push in 2024. If they want to do that, however, they’ll need better cornerbacks. The Raiders share a division with two elite quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, so Xavien Howard will be a must-sign after his release.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers had one of the worst defenses in the league last year, and head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t going to let that happen again. Xavien Howard might not come cheap, but the Chargers can create plenty of cap space with a Mike Williams release.
Main Photo: Jasen Vinlove – USA Today Sports
