Have We Seen the Last of Xavien Howard in Miami?

[TheFish]

The Miami Dolphins season came to an end after another first-round exit on Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Today was locker clean-out day, and multiple players spoke about their future with the team. Among those, veteran cornerback Xavien Howard had some words regarding his future in South Florida. “My eight years here, I loved it. And whatever happens, I’m with it,” said Howard. The five-time pro bowler has a cap hit of $25 million in 2024, and the Miami Dolphins will likely look to move on from the veteran corner. Miami is projected to be $40 million over the cap space, and this will be one of many moves that will likely be made to improve this roster moving forward. Howard concluded his 2023 campaign injured after suffering a foot injury against the Baltimore Ravens. The cornerback room will look much different next season if the team decides to move on from Howard. Last season, the team acquired all-pro corner Jalen Ramsey, who will be the cornerpiece to build around in the secondary. Cornerbacks Nik Needham and Eli Apple are both free agents, which leaves the unit with Cam Smith, Kader Kohou, and Justin Bethel for the most part. We have seen how Vic Fangio prefers players that fit his scheme, so now, this off-season, we can focus on building the defense to fit Fangio’s vision. There are several free-agent options, At the top of the list there are players like; CB Jaylon Johnson, CB L’Jarius Sneed, CB Kendall Fuller, and CB Stephon Gillmore. Since Miami drafted Xavien Howard with the 38th overall pick in the 2019 draft, he immediately made his presence known and established a resume that ranks him amongst some of the best who ever wore aqua in orange. ■ First-team All-Pro in 2020 ■ Second-team All-Pro in 2018 ■ 5× Pro Bowl 2018, 2020–2022 and 2023 ■ 2× NFL interceptions leader In Howard’s career, he has accumulated 331 tackles, 29 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, and 4 defensive touchdowns. A true shutdown corner, Howard’s incredible ability to force interceptions, along with tight coverage abilities, ranks him among the greatest cornerbacks in Miami Dolphins history, right up there with Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain.

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