The Miami Dolphins are facing a difficult decision: what to do with the looming expiration of CB Xavien Howard’s rookie contract next winter? The logical answer would seem to be extending Howard in an effort to keep one of the staples of a young and talented secondary in place going forward.
But like everything else in Miami these days, it’s not quite that simple. No, instead the third-year Baylor product will be asking for the richest contract of any cornerback in the league.
What would that run the Dolphins? A pretty penny, as the title of “highest paid corner” currently belongs to Washington Redskins CB Josh Norman (he signed a 5-year, $75M contract in 2016). Not to mention Miami’s stance of taking a longer, more sustainable route of building a roster with Chris Grier’s new vision for this franchise.
Would Howard’s mega-contract be counter-productive to the team’s efforts to build a long-term contender, given the cash he’s swallow up?
Then there’s the matter of Howard’s knee (meniscus) injury. The knee issue that cost Howard the final four games of the 2018 season isn’t the first time the Dolphin cornerback has struggled with knee injuries: Howard also missed most of the pre-season and over half of his rookie season with multiple knee surgeries in 2016.
So as it turns out, that no-brainer contract extension is actually quite the pickle.
Whether it is with Miami or somewhere else, Howard’s pay day is quickly approaching. Spotrac currently rates Howard as the 7th most valuable cornerback in the league, given the precedent set by prior contracts and Howard’s production on the field. Their $13.5M average annual salary would check in below Howard’s aiming point but still make him one of the most handsomely paid defensive backs in all of football.
Letting Howard hit the market in 2020 will surely see his value explode.
With cuts looming as the March 13th league calendar renewal nears, the Dolphins will have cash to spend and if they’d like to address Howard’s contract and lock him in at a fair but also team-friendly rate.
Setting the market is always much more valuable than paying it after it’s set, after all.
