What is the trade value of Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard?
The Miami Dolphins were pretty swift in acting to kill any momentum that this past week’s Xavien Howard trade speculation might have. Within an hour of a report running that the Dolphins were “fielding offers” for Howard, the Dolphins provided a quote to another outlet that emphatically indicated that the team was not looking to trade their standout cornerback. And, based on the results of him and Byron Jones playing on the field together, it is hard to blame them.
If the Miami Dolphins decide to roll this season with a top NFL duo at cornerback, they may well be able to make a significant push. But every player has their price, as does every general manager. And the Dolphins didn’t seem to have any intentions of trading OT Laremy Tunsil in 2019, either. Granted it was a very different situation for the team as they braced to roll into a rebuilding effort — 2020 is a year later and the team is clearly much improved.
But what would a team have to offer general manager Chris Grier in order for the Dolphins to take the offer seriously?
That’s a complicated question given the Dolphins have already paid Howard and he’s locked in for the foreseeable future. And as the cost of top cornerbacks skyrockets, Howard’s contract is only going to look more and more like a bargain for the next several seasons. Given Howard’s ball production, his positional value and the worth and length of his contract, you can make a strong argument that Howard is an attractive trade target…but he’s also an attractive asset for the Dolphins. And to pry him away from Miami at this point in time, as the secondary has become a clear identity piece of the team, means that anyone who wants him is going to have to get desperate to do so.
What would a team need to offer? Think big. Like Laremy Tunsil big. Miami would presumably invest whatever first big asset they get back for Howard in replacing him (or maybe Noah Igbinoghene could be that player). But multiple big assets would be the required price of admission for Miami to seriously sit down at the table and think about this scenario.
Which is why it isn’t very like to happen. And that’s just fine with us so long as Howard continues to play to the degree he has early on this season.
