Can Seattle Seahawks Make a Run at Disgruntled Miami Dolphins CB Xavien Howard?
Whenever the frustrations of a disgruntled star NFL player become public knowledge as they try to get out of town, the Seahawks always seem to be a potential landing spot, and for obvious reasons. Under general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll, Seattle has provided a safe haven for hapless players seeking a change of scenery and the opportunity to join a winning franchise. In the past two years alone, the organization has handed out a total of five draft picks for defensive purposes Jadeveon Clowney and Carlos Dunlap, as well as All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, and acquired three leading talents seeking a fresh start elsewhere. This offseason, the Seahawks have already been linked with former Falcons receiver Julio Jones, who was eventually traded to the Titans, as well as Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who wants a new contract and has failed to sign up for the mandatory mini camp. With training camp starting in less than six weeks, another All-Pro talent in Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard appears to be pulling some strings behind the scenes in an effort to facilitate a trade. Of course, there has been speculation about linking the Seahawks to the star defender as a possible destination. Carroll has been candid during the off-season about his excitement regarding an impending competition at cornerback in August and the team has made some intriguing moves at the position, signing veterans Ahkello Witherspoon and Pierre Desir while also choosing Tre Brown in the fourth round. But theres no doubt that acquiring Howard would give Seattle a substantial upgrade over the players currently on the depth chart. Howard turns 28 in July and is one of the NFLs top cornerbacks since entering the league as a second-round roster in 2016. According to Pro Football Focus, nearly 19 percent of its total goals in five NFL seasons have resulted in an interception or pass deflection, the highest percentage for any corner with 150 or more goals during that period. Rebounding from an injury-ridden 2019 season, Howard recovered by leading the NFL with 10 interceptions and 20 passes defended in 2020, and continued to show off his elite ball skills. He also set another high in his career with 51 tackles and, according to Pro Football Reference, quarterback opponents scored a poor 48.3 passer rating, completing only 51.5 percent of their passes when they aimed him into cover. Two years earlier, Howard enjoyed his first breakout season for Miami, intercepting seven passes and recording 12 defensive passes in just 12 games. After making his first Pro Bowl roster, he received a lucrative five-year, $75.25 million extension, briefly making him the highest-paid cornerback in football. But since then, several cornerbacks have surpassed Howard in annual pay, including his own teammate in Byron Jones, as well as Rams superstar Jalen Ramsey and Bills star TreDavious White. As a result, he is dissatisfied with his current contract, reportedly seeking a raise after his first All-Pro roster last season and opting to stay home during the mandatory mini-camp. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, extensions given to other dolphins have caused Howard more buried pursuing a new deal. Even with fines of $50,000 per training missed, it could mean theres a long wait on the horizon when the camp arrives in late July. While Miami could decide to give in and sign Howard a new contract, a trade shouldnt be ruled out. In fact, a team reportedly called to inquire about his availability on the trade deadline last October and while the team denied the claim, according to Jackson, the cornerback himself may have pressed buttons in vain to force them to release him. If the Dolphins made Howard available, or at least willing to talk to other teams about moving him, Schneider would definitely make the decision. He never misses an opportunity to add potentially talented players to the Seahawks roster and Howards arrival would clearly take the team to the next level. They havent had a ball-hawking angle of his caliber since Richard Sherman left after the 2017 season and his skills fit their schedule pretty well. But in reality, while Schneider has never been afraid to roll the dice and always keeps the door open for making aggressive moves, the chances of a Howard-to-Seattle transaction coming to fruition are nearly impossible. For one, the Dolphins probably wont be willing to part with one of the NFLs top cornerbacks unless an admirer offers at least a first-round pick in return. Due to their blockbuster deal for Adams last July, the Seahawks currently have no first-round pick in 2022 and can only offer a future first-round pick or a 2022 second-round pick as maximum compensation. Most importantly, even if Seattle decided to trade the first round of 2023 and additional draft capital for Howard, it would be nearly impossible to fit his contract into the teams budget, especially since Adams needs a new contract. . He has cap hits of at least $13.4 million in each of the next three seasons and as a friendly reminder, he wants another deal with more money. Cap guru Matt Thomas has a magical touch, but even he might not be able to squeeze such a contract into the books. Of course, the Seahawks can restructure quarterback Russell Wilsons contract and immediately create $12.6 million in cap space. That would be feasible. This would allow the franchise to take Howards deal in 2021, but such a decision would also kick Wilsons cap hit to the next two seasons, leaving them less flexibility going forward to sign huge contracts for Adams and Howard on their own. to take. Its also worth noting that the Howard acquisition poses risks beyond its financial demands. Injuries have been problematic for him throughout his NFL career, as he missed nine games as a rookie with a meniscus tear, sat out the last four games of the 2018 season with a knee injury, then missed 11 games in 2019, and eventually went through the season. end of knee surgery. Although he was healthy last year, there are legitimate questions about his durability and longevity. With all of these factors in mind, even as the Dolphins are exploring the idea of swapping Howard, the Seahawks simply dont have the resources necessary to execute a transaction of this magnitude for a player with a checkered injury history right now. If they still want to improve the cornerback group for training camp  they can be perfectly happy with who they have  a deal for Gilmore seems a little more feasible and Sherman remains unsigned as a free agent.