BREAKING: Miami Dolphins Set To Release 4 x Pro Bowl Corner Prior To The Start Of The New League Year

We are less than 20 days from the start of one my personal favorite times of the NFL calendar: Free agency.

Miami Dolphins Recuperating After Dissapointing End To The 2023 Season

The Miami Dolphins, after a highly anticlimactic end to what was otherwise an impressive regular season, where they got beaten easily by eventual champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in less-than-ideal playing conditions, have already started to conduct business for this upcoming football year.

Accusations flew around the South Florida side, accusing them of being “soft”, or “flat-track bullies“; they would as easily put 70 points past a terrible Denver side, as they would fail to beat any top third side in the NFL, losing to the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills (twice), as well as getting hammered by the Baltimore Ravens on the penultimate game of the regular season.

And now, after parting ways their highly regarded defensive coordinator, former Denver Broncos head coach, Vic Fangio, the Miami Dolphins have made the biggest pre-free agency move of the off season yet, per Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager.

How Will Xavien Howard’s Cut Impact The Miami Dolphins Defense?

After having an injury plagued first 4 years in the NFL, Xavien Howard rebounded with a 1st team All Pro selection in 2020, and 3 consecutive pro bowl years from 2020-22, during which he missed just 3 games of the 3 year span.

Yet, after having his 2023 season – which was also a down year, by Howard’s lofty standards – cut short, starting just 13 games, going into his age 31 season in 2024, it seems as if the Dolphins decided to call it quits after 8 years with the former 38th overall pick.

There is also the question of finances. The Dolphins are set to be almost $25 million over the salary cap, all of which needs to be cleared by the start of the league year on March 13. By designating Howard as a post June 1st cut, the team save around $18.5 million in 2024, whilst incurring $7 million dead cap.

Now that they have their star corner in Jalen Ramsey, acquired in 2023 in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, it seems as if the Dolphins would prefer to rebuild their secondary around him and other young corners, Kader Kohou and last year’s 2nd round pick, Cam Smith; making Howard, with the salary hit he would incur, redundant.

Howard has been linked to Houston, which he has previously described as his ‘real home’, so watch out for the Texans being a strong contender for his services, especially as they are in need of a bona fide number 2 corner opposite former 3rd overall pick, Derek Stingley Jr., especially as starters Steven Nelson and Tavierre Thomas are both free agents this offseason.

Unless he decides to call it a day, it seems highly probable that Howard will find multiple suitors for his services, and will have his pick of the litter as teams continue to start forming their 2024 squads.