Some Miami Dolphins fans felt I was stirring the pot when I mentioned that All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard is likely going to be traded before the 2021 season.
There were even more saying it when I wrote about his cryptic Instagram story that threw gasoline on the trade rumors fire.
Well, surprise, surprise, but NFL Network’s Mike Silver confirmed what I was saying via Twitter.
Silver said, “There’s a lot of trade chatter concerning Dolphins All-Pro CB Xavien Howard, who led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2020 & is unhappy with his contract…”
Silver did mention that it will likely take a 1st round pick in the next tweet, so that should help take the sting away for some Dolphins fans.
It looks like the Miami Dolphins will trade Xavien Howard.
The writing has been on the wall for a bad breakup in Miami. Howard has wanted a new contract, Miami has known this, yet we are close to training camp with no new deal.
Miami could easily improve Howard’s deal to make him happy, and this would all be over. However, they haven’t done that, and that is telling. Howard signed a big five-year, $75.25 million extension two years ago, so Miami clearly feels like they already paid him.
Howard had ten interceptions last season, so he wants more, and Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones makes more money than him. I think a combination of Jones making more money than him, Miami drafting Noah Igbinoghene, and Miami’s bluntness on not giving him more money has fractured the relationship beyond repair.
I have already written about five creative trade ideas with Xavien Howard, but here are two franchise-altering trade packages for Howard.
I do not think either of these trades would ever happen, but they are trades I would do because they would alter the landscape of the Dolphins and for the better!
New Orleans receivers: Xavien Howard, 2022 3rd, and 2022 4th
Miami Receives: Alvin Kamara and a 2023 2nd round pick
If there were one player in the NFL that I would try everything I could to trade for, it would be New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
I believe Kamara is the best running back in the NFL and is an unbelievable talent. It would be nearly impossible to get Kamara from the Saints, but if they wanted Xavien Howard, I would see if Kamara could be involved.
In this trade, Miami receives a second-round pick as well, but the less valuable one, the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 second-round pick.
Some Dolphins fans may wish they got the 2022 pick, but I think Miami is trying to build up their 2023 NFL Draft picks with the thought that things will be better regarding COVID-19 changes/restrictions.
Also, I am sure a ton of people think Miami should get a first-round pick, but I believe Kamara is worth more, even though he plays the least valuable position in football. Running backs are overrated, but Kamara is one of the exceptions.
Trading Howard may hurt some Dolphins fans, but if they somehow got Kamara out of the deal, they should be celebrating.
Yes, they’ll take a hit on defense, and Noah Igbinoghene will need to progress, but Kamara would complete the offense.
Miami gives up two picks in the deal as well, but they have two third-round picks and two fourth-round picks in 2022, so it would be easy to part ways with the picks.
Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa would have Kamara and Myles Gaskin at running back, Mike Gesicki and Hunter Long at tight end, and then Will Fuller V, DeVante Parker, Jaylen Waddle, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Preston Williams at receiver.
That would be a deadly offense.
Kamara would be a potential 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver if they would plug him into this offense.
Imagine Fuller and Waddle stretching the field with Tagovailoa hitting Kamara leaking out of the backfield.
SHEESH!
It will never happen, but we can dream about this franchise-altering trade.
Packers receive: Xavien Howard, 2022 1st (SF), 2022 2nd, and 2023 1st
Dolphins receive: Aaron Rodgers
This trade idea set Dolphins Twitter on fire when I tweeted it. I think the picture of Aaron Rodgers in a Dolphins jersey made it worse, but wow, I did not expect this tweet to blow up the way it did.
The tweet has over 250,000 impressions, and the reactions are either happy or mad, with no in-between.
You know that the Tua Stans were present, and they were not happy. I still can’t believe there are Dolphins fans that would rather have Tagovailoa instead of Rodgers, but hey, that is their personal opinion. However, that doesn’t mean it’s right, and trust me; it’s not right.
I am a Tagovailoa fan, but if you have a chance to get Rodgers, you get Rodgers. And in this trade scenario, you get to have Tagovailoa sit behind Rodgers for a few years before he would take over.
I think this is a great insurance policy for Miami. They can win now with Rodgers and still have the future secured with Tagovailoa behind him.
And yes, they give up two first-round picks and a second-round pick in 2022. But think logically for a second and not like a video game. Some fans are saying, “you’re giving away the future.”
Stop it.
That 1st round pick will be 25 or higher with Rodgers the next two years, AND Miami has two first-round picks in 2023. So realistically, Miami is giving up their first two picks in 2022.
Is that mortgaging the future? Nah. Not even close!
This trade would be a fantastic trade for the Packers, too, as they can move on from Rodgers and the drama, start 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love and have one of the best secondaries in the entire NFL.
Miami would be instant Super Bowl contenders with Rodgers, and it would be fascinating to see what he could do with the weapons he’d have at his disposal.
This deal will never happen either, but it should happen!