The Miami Dolphins have bid farewell to Xavien Howard for the remainder of the 2019 season, placing their star player on injured reserve and ensuring that Howard will have missed 75% of the Dolphins’ last 20 games by the time he’s ready to step back onto the football field at the start of the 2020 campaign. By then, the Dolphins figure to look drastically different — a reloaded and remolded unit that only brings a handful fo returning starters.
But for now, the Dolphins will push onward, nearing the halfway point of their 2019 season while sitting at 0-7. The Dolphins have found themselves a corner to take Howard’s spot on the roster, too — at least for now. Miami claimed Houston Texans cornerback Xavier Crawford, a 6th-round rookie out of Central Michigan. Crawford showcased some promising explosiveness coming out of CMU, he logged a sub-4.50s 40-yard dash and leapt 37.5″ in the vertical jump. Miami will look to tap into those athletic tools and add Crawford to their evaluation this season.
Schematically, Crawford’s strengths out of Central Michigan appear to align with what the Dolphins will look to run — a lot of man coverage. Crawford’s foot quickness was one of his better traits and that provides him with some notable mirror ability against opposing receivers. Can the Dolphins transition that foundation into a workable NFL cornerback? That’s what the next 9 games are all about.
