Xavien Howard Won't be Easy for Dolphins to Replace
Xavien Howard will go down in history as the best draft pick in the Chris Grier era of running the Miami Dolphins franchise.
Howard, a former Baylor standout, was the second ever draft selection made by Grier when he replaced Dennis Hickey as Miami's General Manager, and the coordinator of Miami's drafts.
Howard was the 2016 second-round pick, a cornerstone piece in a draft that also featured Laremy Tunsil being Miami's first-round selection, and 30-yea-old cornerback had an accomplished eight-year career with the Dolphins.
One where he was selected to four Pro Bowls, was named to one All-Pro team, and produced 29 career interceptions, which has him tied for fourth in Dolphins history, and is the most in the NFL since 2017.
While Howard, who Miami plans to make a June 1 release when the NFL's new league year begins on March 13, has struggled to stay healthy throughout his NFL career, his ball skills are phenomenal, and his 1-on-1 coverage skills allowed Miami's defenses to shine at times during numerous eras, and schemes the defense ran.
That's why Howard won't be an easy player for the Dolphins to replace, which his cornerback partner Jalen Ramsey hinted at Friday when addressing his release on social media, calling Howard the "GREATEST cornerback in Miami Dolphins History."
"I won't ever forgive dude for not utilizing our full skillset!" Ramsey wrote, likely alluding to former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's stubbornness, which often limited how the cornerbacks were utilized.
That was a running complaint about last year's defense, which finished the 2023 season ranked 10th, but were ranked fourth before Howard suffered a foot injury that forced him to miss all but one snap of the final three games, which were all losses.
Miami's in-house options to replace Howard
Cornerback Cam Smith, the Dolphins' 2023 second-round pick, sparingly played on defense as a rookie because he spent the entire year in Fangio's doghouse, and Kader Kohou had a second-year slump, which featured significant regression from his impressive rookie season.
Smith, a former South Carolina standout known for his physical pressing nature, played 20 snaps on defense last season because Fangio didn't like his work ethic, and preferred to play veteran cornerbacks ahead of the youngster, who spent most of his week getting Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle ready for game day as a scout team player.
Smith played 15 games in 2023, mostly on special teams, primarily serving as a gunner. His stint in Fangio's doghouse actually led to the Dolphins playing rookie Ethan Bonner, an undrafted rookie from Stanford, ahead of Smith late in the season. Bonner played 22 snaps on defense, and 11 of them came in Miami's playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It's possible that Bonner, who is well-documented as one of the fastest players on the team, could come out of nowhere and rise up the depth chart like Kohou, another undrafted player, did as a rookie.
Last season Kohou allowed eight touchdowns, and opposing quarterback completed 89.1 percent of passes thrown to receivers he was supposed to be defending, and had a 131.0 passer rating when throwing to offensive players Kohou was responsible for. So there's clearly some where this third-year veteran needs to do to clean up his game.
Secondary gutted by free agency
The Dolphins secondary will likely feature an influx of newcomers with Howard gone, and Nik Needham, Eli Apple, Justin Bethel and safeties Deshon Elliott, Brandon Jones, and Elijah Campbell all expected to become unrestricted free agents when the free agent period begins in March.
Miami could re-sign any of those players, but it would likely be for salaries in the $2-3 million or less range.
Keion Crossen, a core special teams contributor who spent all of last season on injured reserve because of a knee injury he suffered in the final practice before the 53-man roster was compiled, is also on the roster. But considering his release would create $3 million in cap space, don't be surprised if his tenure with the Dolphins comes to a conclusion in the coming days, or weeks.
Crossen has had multiple surgeries to address the injury he suffered in August, and at this point it's unclear if he'll be healthy enough to pass a physical.
Free Agent Options Could Be Explored
The Dolphins typically carry 10 cornerbacks into training camp, and last year they finished the season with seven on the 53-man roster, and two on the practice squad, so don't be surprised if numerous veterans are signed in March.
And that could include a veteran addition who might contend to replace Howard as the boundary player put opposite Ramsey since Kohou's best position is seemingly the nickel spot.
Miami could go the aged-veteran route, targeting someone like Stephone Gilmore, who earned $10 million in base salary on bonuses from the Dallas Cowboys last season.
Rock Ya Sin, who played 14 games with the Baltimore Ravens last season, is also a free agent. The 29-game starter could be a more affordable option for the Dolphins, and has some history with new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Last year a proven veteran like Patrick Peterson signed a two year, $14 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Peterson, a South Florida native, received a $5.85 million signing bonus to consummate the deal. If he's on the roster on the third day of the 2024 league year he will earn a $3 million roster bonus. If the Steelers decide his play isn't worth $6.8 million in 2024 he'll be released and becomes a free agent.
Plenty of other veterans are in similar positions, and could become available in the coming days. And Grier could also explore a trade that acquires a veteran cornerback, similar to how Miami got Ramsey last season.
With a healthy Ramsey as a cornerstone piece, don't be surprised if many of those veterans make a pitch to join the Dolphins, becoming Howard's possible replacement.
