Xavien Howard on a return to the Miami Dolphins: "That door is closed"

The Miami Dolphins made a tough but needed decision last week when they informed Xavien Howard he would be released. Now, Howard is talking.

Following his release, there was talk that Howard could rejoin the Dolphins but it is clear now that is not going to happen. Howard spoke with the Joe Rose Show on 560WQAM radio.

While some fans may not be too thrilled with the idea of Howard not returning, I would guess they are in the minority. The reality is, Howard's career has slid quite a lot over the last couple of seasons. Howard hasn't played to the level of his breakout 10 interception season and is far removed from being a solid WR-1 coverage corner.

There have been rumors and speculation that Howard could join or try to join the Texans when free agency hits on March 13th. Of course, it will depend on what Howard is hoping to make with a new contract.

Howard will eventually become a debate for the Dolphins "Walk of Fame" outside the stadium but there are a lot of years between now and that decision. His personal decision to hold an "injury-out" over the Byron Jones contract, which led to a restructuring of his own contract, didn't sit well with some of the team.

Howard may not find other teams lining up to sign him. He is no longer considered a top tier cornerback and there have been more CBs added to the FA pool over the last few days that are both younger and playing at a higher level.