After weeks of speculation about Xavien Howard’s dissatisfaction with the Miami Dolphins, the superstar cornerback has officially requested a swap from the team.
Howard’s frustration with the Dolphins stems from a contract dispute. In Howard’s own words, he said he did not feel “valued or respected” by the dolphins.
Xavien Howard announced on Instagram that he asked the Dolphins for a trade.
Where would you like to see the star cornerback end up? pic.twitter.com/xLfgxKsbdn
– Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) July 28, 2021
In 2019, Howard signed a five-year renewal for $ 75.25 million. It has since been clear that Howard has exceeded his pay.
Last season in particular has shown that Howard is worth far more than he is paid for. Howard had 10 interceptions and led the whole NFL. He was a first-team all-pro and was in the process of being named Defensive Player of the Year.
In a statement on Instagram this week, Howard made it clear that he was not looking for a completely new contract. Instead, he wants Miami to just add more guaranteed money to his deal. The Dolphins refused to comply, which led to an official trade request.
With Howard in the market, it’s a good time to check out the top five landing spots for the all-pro corner.
The 5 best landing spots for Xavien Howard
# 1 – Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are by far the best fit for Howard. He would step in right away and be number one on the team, and Arizona leads a defense that schematically fits his game. Plus, he would now be joining a team ready to win.
As things stand at the moment, the Cardinals are at the start Malcolm Butler, Robert Alford and Bryon Murphy on the corner. Butler and Murphy would stay in the line-up with a Howard trade, but Alford could look inside from the outside.
With the addition of JJ Watt and Zaven Collins, the Cardinals defense is looking a lot better than it has been in years. However, secondary education is still a weak group. Adding Howard to the mix would make the Cardinals NFC contenders.
# 2 – The Saints of New Orleans
Number one of the New Orleans Saints, Marshon Lattimore, faces potential suspension following an off-field incident this off-season. With his future in the air, the Saints have a big hole in the corner, even after the recent signing of veteran Brian Poole.
Without Lattimore, the Saints would likely start Patrick Robinson and rookie Paulson Adebo at the outer corners. Poole and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will rotate in the slot.
Relying on a beginner to start on the corner is never a smart thing unless you can live with a ton of mistakes. The learning curve for rookie corners is steep. With Howard, Adebo would have much less pressure to perform right away.
A Howard trade would also give the Saints a pair of high-end talent on the corner when Lattimore eventually gets back into the starting XI.
# 3 – Kansas City Chiefs
Xavien Howard’s move to the Chiefs is an unlikely scenario considering the Dolphins probably wouldn’t add to the AFC’s best team, but man, man, it would be perfect for Kansas City.
The Chiefs felt the impact that they weren’t a real number one in the corner Super bowl when they failed to cover the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s passport catching weapons.
A corner group by L’Jarius Sneed, Mike Hughes, Rashad Fenton and Charvarius Ward is the definition of a middle entity. They’re all pretty solid corners, and Sneed has a lot of potential, but there’s no one to scare an offensive into. Bringing Howard in would change that immediately.
Kansas City is already considered a Super Bowl favorite. So imagine what adding an all-pro corner to their outlook for 2021 would mean.
# 4 – San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers struggled in many areas over the past season, but passport coverage wasn’t one of them. Jason Verrett played like a number one corner, Emmanuel Moseley has proven he has a lot of potential, and K’Waun Williams is a good slot corner.
Then why would the 49ers be interested in a Howard trade?
There are a couple of reasons. The first is that Verrett has struggled with injuries throughout his career and relying on him to stay healthy in 2021 is a risky endeavor.
Second, despite the small footprint in 2020, the 49ers are a team with enough talent, if healthy, to compete in the NFC. Remember, the 49ers are in a division Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. San Francisco will need all the help it can get in high school to win the division.
# 5 – Los Angeles chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a wild card in the Howard Sweepstakes. Los Angeles was 7-9 last season, but the Chargers are a team on the rise. Justin Herbert looks like a future superstar and they have talent across the board.
One area that could use some improvement, however, is the corner. Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr. and rookie Asante Samuel Jr. are the scheduled starters. It’s not a great group, especially considering the rookie corners learning curve I mentioned earlier.
With Howard, the Chargers will be much better suited to playing against league rivals Patrick Mahomes twice a year. With the way the secondary is currently built, it would be no surprise if the Chiefs offense tears up this defense of Los Angeles.
If the Chargers hope to compete with the Chiefs, they have to get a number one in the corner. Howard is the best available.
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