Getty Xavien Howard facing off against the Bills in December 2018.
Forget Stephon Gilmore. The Philadelphia Eagles could be poised to jump on another disgruntled All-Pro cornerback – one who is three years younger than Gilmore and could be had for a relatively much cheaper price.
Miami Dolphins All-Pro Xavien Howard would sure look good lining up opposite Darius Slay in Philly. They would arguably form the most formidable one-two defensive back combination in football. Howard is unhappy with his contract, per NFL Network’s Michael Silver, and there is a lot of trade chatter around him. The Eagles could swoop in and offer Zach Ertz for the two-time Pro Bowler. Getting rid of Ertz would create an extra $8.5 million in salary-cap space to offset a large portion of his $12.05 million base salary in 2021.
The 28-year-old has been the third-best cornerback in over the past three seasons, per Pro Football Focus. Howard earned a career-high 89.6 coverage grade in 2020 while landing at No. 4 on their list of the league’s top 32 cornerbacks. However, the Houston native (same hometown as Jalen Hurts) isn’t paid like his elite peers. Here is what PFF wrote:
Howard has allowed just a 62.5 passer rating when targeted over the past three NFL seasons, good for the third-lowest figure among the 131 cornerbacks with at least 75 targets since 2018. He also ranked second in percentage of targets where he recorded either a pass breakup or an interception (23.4%) in the same three-year span.
The 28-year-old is now entering his sixth NFL season after earning a career-high 89.6 PFF coverage grade in 2020. Howard logged just a 53.0 passer rating when targeted, 10 pass breakups and 10 interceptions — all career-highs.
Leader in INTs + PBUs in 2020?
Xavien Howard 🏝
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Bleacher Report Puts Howard in Midnight Green
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski compiled a list of the top potential landing spots for Howard and listed the Eagles among four teams who could make a trade. The others were the Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns. He pointed to shedding Ertz’s salary as the main reason why Philly could make the move. His proposed package included Ertz and a 2022 second-rounder in exchange for Howard.
“Ertz’s inclusion would save the Eagles $8.5 million,” Sobleski wrote. “They’d still have to make corresponding cap-saving moves, but at least trading Ertz would help offset a large portion of Howard’s contract.”
Bleacher Report’s trade packages for Xavien Howard
New Orleans: 2022 1st-round draft pick
Philadelphia: 2022 2nd-round draft pick and Zach Ertz
Arizona: 2022 2nd- and 5th-round draft picks and Jordan Hicks
Cleveland: 2022 2nd- and 4th-round draft picks and Greedy Williams
Miami does have a rising star tight end in Mike Gesicki on the roster, though. He turned in a career-best year in 2020 by registering 53 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. But the Dolphins are expecting big things this year and adding a three-time Pro Bowler like Ertz could only help increase their playoff odds.
‘Unique Situation’ Going On in Miami
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores referred to Howard’s contract dispute as a “unique situation” when asked about it during spring OTAs. He skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp and questions remain on whether he’ll show up on July 27 for training camp. The player and organization are engaged in ongoing contract talks, according to Flores.
“Obviously had a lot of talks and conversations about those,” Flores said, via NFL.com, “and we’ll continue to have those and keep those internal, but it’s a very unique situation.”
Could see a solution where Howard gets more money guaranteed, but a 28-year-old CB holding out with 4 years left on a deal doesn’t seem like much of a threat to a team that has Byron Jones and 2020 1st-round pick Noah Igbinoghene
Howard is attempting to renegotiate the five-year, $76.5 million deal he inked in May of 2019. He has four years and $47.5 million left on his extension. His $15.05 million in annual average salary places him sixth among NFL corners, but teammate Byron Jones ranks above him at $16.5 million. That seems to be the rub in Miami. Interestingly, Darius Slay looks down at both of them at $16.7 million per year.
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Disgruntled All-Pro CB Named ‘Realistic’ Eagles Target