The regular season is less than a week away, but star cornerback Xavien Howard is still a free agent. A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Howard quickly established himself as one of the league’s most dangerous and aggressive defensive backs with the Miami Dolphins. Blessed with an elite nose for the ball, Howard led the league in interceptions twice, made four Pro Bowls, and earned First-Team All-Pro honors for his fantastic 2020 season.
Xavien Howard slowed down a bit in his age-30 season, and his relatively pedestrian play combined with his massive cap hit gave Miami no choice but to cut him and make him a free agent. This happened months ago, yet Howard has been unable to find a new home. He’s not an elite player at this point in his career, but with Stephon Gilmore in Minnesota and Adoree Jackson in New York, he’s the best cornerback remaining on the market. Howard can still help a secondary in need, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers are the most likely destinations.
Panthers, Chiefs Could Sign Free Agent Xavien Howard
L’Jarius Sneed is one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks and no single player can replace him in Kansas City’s defense. However, this doesn’t mean the Chiefs won’t have a good secondary in 2024. Trent McDuffie remains one of the game’s premier players, and former fourth-round pick Joshua Williams has played well in a limited role. However, with Williams now set to start, Kansas City could use a free agent like Xavien Howard to bolster the depth in the secondary.
Xavien Howard can be a fine emergency starter, but the free agent won’t need to be the second-best cornerback to make an impact for the Chiefs. Thanks to the presence of Patrick Mahomes, opposing offenses will throw the ball early and often to try and keep up with Kansas City’s high-flying aerial attack. The Chiefs will likely spend most of the season in nickel and dime packages, which means more defensive backs on the field. Even if it’s in a depth role, Howard and his ball-hawking abilities should be a welcome addition to this defense.
Carolina’s Cornerback Search
The Panthers are leaving no stone unturned in their search for starting-caliber cornerbacks. After narrowly missing out on free agent Stephon Gilmore, the Panthers might have to turn to a different veteran in Xavien Howard. Jaycee Horn is reliable when healthy, but Carolina’s activity after roster cuts shows how little faith they have in their depth. The Panthers added three cornerbacks off waivers, which isn’t something you do when you already like the players on your roster.
Even if these players work out, the Panthers could use some more experience in their secondary. Xavien Howard has that in spades, and the free agent could see snaps early in the season while acting like a coach on the field. At his peak, nobody had a better nose for the ball than Howard, so perhaps he can teach those instincts to Carolina’s young core of cornerbacks.
Main Photo: Jasen Vinlove – USA Today Sports
