Xavien Howard is coming off a career year and an NFL Defensive MVP type season so of course, the Miami Dolphins should trade him.
This is not added to this list for page views or clicks because I do really believe that Howard will draw interest from other teams. The big question I have is will that interest blow Chris Grier away?
The answer to that may not be easy to figure out. If Howard is the league’s Defensive MVP, his value will likely never be higher. Considering that Howard has had an injury history with the Dolphins, Miami would be smart to listen to the offers and then decide if they are trading a top corner and then having to replace him with the compensation.
The Dolphins don’t technically need the cap space and a trade would save the Dolphins $9.3 million in cap space this year. Enough to sign a replacement. That replacement may not be as good as Howard but what would Miami do with the draft compensation?
It would be interesting to learn what a team might offer for Howard. Two first-round picks would make anyone laugh but what about a first in 2021 and a 2nd in 2022? Maybe that is reversed and the Dolphins get a 2022 first and a 2nd this year.
The point is no one really saw the big trade offer for Tunsil and while Bill O’Brien probably wishes he could have that back, teams don’t learn from other team’s mistakes. Howard is a great player but he is also at the zenith of his career so his skills have a shelf life of about 1-2 more years before he starts to regress. If I’m the Dolphins, I’m answering the phone. Whether I stay on it is the question.