Xavien Howard has a clear and succinct message for his critics that think he’s fallen off, lost a step, and is no longer one of the NFL’s upper-echelon cornerbacks. “F--- ‘em,” said Howard, who leads the NFL in interceptions (28) since entering the league in 2016 as a second-round pick for the Miami Dolphins. Howard, who was named to his fourth Pro Bowl last season, admitted early this summer that he didn’t deserve that recognition because of the challenges he had most of the season with two groin injuries. Because the Dolphins were desert-thirsty at cornerback due to all the injuries the secondary endured, Howard kept playing, kept pushing through the pain, and admittedly didn’t perform up to his standards. But 2022 is in his rearview mirror, and this season he’s looking to regain his status as one of the NFL’s elites, redeeming his reputation. “I am a true No. 1,” Howard said. “We’re cornerbacks. We have to have that (confidence). That’s part of our game.” HOWARD AND THE ADDITION OF JALEN RAMSEY With Jalen Ramsey added to the Dolphins defense, Miami potentially has the best cornerback duo in the NFL, and the goal is for Ramsey and Howard to complement one another’s game. Howard admitted he's thrilled that Ramsey’s addition means less will be placed on his plate during games. “It’s going to open up some doors for me. My game has been my game. I want to intercept the ball. I want to get touchdowns and stuff like that,” Howard said. “Without playing as much man, and without me traveling, following a guy, it’ll help a lot. I don’t have to travel [shadowing each team’s top receiver] during the play. "Some teams during my career, when they found out I was following a guy they put him in motion a lot to get me tired before the rep. Just staying left and right is going to be easy for me.” Howard typically trains on his own during the offseason, but he was in attendance this spring and summer for all of the Dolphins offseason program so he could learn the intricacies of Vic Fangio’s defense, getting himself up to speed with Miami’s new defensive coordinator, and the cloud coverage he utilizes. Fangio's style typically benefits secondaries, putting cornerback and safeties in position to create turnovers, and that's Howard's forte. LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 FOR HOWARD Howard also will be on the field when practices begin Wednesday, avoiding the load management programs he’s typically been on during training camp. His goal is to get adjusted as quickly as possible so he can be at his best because plenty is at stake. If Howard is balling, playing at a Pro Bowl level, his $18.5 million salary in 2024 makes sense for Miami. If not, the Dolphins could designate him as a June 1 cut and create that exact amount in cap space by releasing him. The decision on Howard will be made by March 18, which is when $4 million of his salary becomes guaranteed. Howard’s history as a savvy businessman means he's well aware of the position he’s in as a 30-year-old, and the only way to ensure he continues to be compensated like an elite player is to play like one. “I’ve never been a rah-rah guy. I just show up and play,” Howard said. “I’ll let my play on the field do the talking.”
Our cornerback depth is crazy to start the season. By my count, we have more capable CBs than we can probably roster. Hopefully, we can keep them all healthy this year.
There were so many, it was hard to keep track. If memory serves, Williams is a CB who looked great in camp last year, until he got hurt.
