The Miami Dolphins still have not filled the void at cornerback that was made when Kendall Fuller was released. They need to do that before the draft.
When week two of free agency began, the Dolphins added another cornerback to the roster, Artie Burns. Burns, a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has managed to do little more than stay injured throughout his NFL career.
The Dolphins believe this is the year that it will all turn around, and he will magically become healthy, just like the rest of Chris Grier's injury-riddled signings of the last eight years.
While Burns is going to provide depth on the injured reserve list at some point, the Dolphins still need to find a cornerback and they can't rely on the draft to provide that player entirely. So perhaps they should reach out to a familiar name.
Xavien Howard is one year removed from playing. He sat out last season after off-field issues curtailed his plans in free agency. Now, there are rumors he wants to continue playing and Miami can do far worse.
If nothing else, he provides competition, if the price is right.
Miami Dolphins should call Xavien Howard to see where his head is at
The question about a bridge being burned between the two sides during last year's offseason is likely overblown. Howard knows that Grier likes him and nothing Howard said was ridiculous enough to change that.
The bigger question would be, has Howard's ego subsided enough not to ask for ridiculous money?
If Howard does indeed want to play, the Dolphins may be his best option. The familiarity from both sides is important but chances are this would come down to money.
While Howard isn't anywhere near as good as he once was, Miami can't rely on Burns at all and that makes Howard at least someone to have a conversation about.