Dolphins Notebook: Honors, Draft and Coaches
The accolades keep coming for Xavien Howard.
After being selected to the Pro Bowl and the AP All-Pro first team, Howard was named Monday to the Professional Football Writers Association All-NFL and All-AFC teams.
Howard was joined on the All-NFL team at cornerback by Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams and on the All-AFC team by Tre'Davious White of the Buffalo Bills.
After being selected to the AP All-Pro first team, kicker Jason Sanders did not get the same recognition from PFWA members as Baltimore's Justin Tucker got the nod for the All-NFL and All-AFC teams.
RELATED: Howard, Sanders Earn All-Pro Recognition
For full disclosure, I voted for both Howard and Sanders.
Howard was a slam dunk after leading the league with 10 interceptions and finishing with the best opponent passer rating among cornerbacks targeted at least 60 times at 48.3.
Sanders deserved the nod after going 36-for-39 on field goal attempts and perfect on extra points, including 8-for-9 from 50 yards or more, while Tucker was 26-for-29 on field goals and missed a PAT. Oh, and Sanders had a better net kickoff average than Tucker.
DRAFT MOVES
Two prominent Ohio State underclassmen announced their intentions for the 2021 NFL draft, with quarterback Justin Fields saying he was in and wide receiver Chris Olave saying he was bypassing it to return to college football next season.
This was a classic case of good news, bad news for the Dolphins.
The inclusion of Fields is good for the Dolphins because it drives up the value of the third overall pick and would give them more leverage to make a trade with a quarterback-starved team.
As for Olave, he was seen as a potential second-round pick and maybe somebody the Dolphins would have considered with their second of two picks in Round 2, slated as the 50th overall.
Monday was the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2021 draft.
COACHING UPDATES
Based on recent coaching announcements, the AFC East won't be getting any easier anytime soon.
After the news of the Jets hiring highly regarded 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their new head coach came a report Monday that Brian Daboll would return as Bills offensive coordinator in 2021.
Daboll, who served as Dolphins coordinator in 2011, was considered one of the leading candidates to be hired as head coach of the Los Angeles, but they instead went with Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Daboll is given a lot of credit for the massive improvement of quarterback Josh Allen and should be among the favorites to win the Assistant Coach of the Year award.
The other team in the division, the New England Patriots, could soon be in the market for an offensive coordinator — just like the Dolphins are — with reports that Josh McDaniels is considered a strong candidate to become Philadelphia Eagles head coach.
RELATED: The Latest on the Dolphins OC Search
Interestingly, yet another coordinator who was expected to interview for the Eagles job was Tampa Bay assistant Todd Bowles, who served as Dolphins interim head coach for the final three games of the 2011 season.
