Reports on Friday from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager stated that two-time All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard has been informed by the Miami Dolphins that he will be cut.
With Miami straining to make ends meet in light of the league’s recently raised wage ceiling, it was an essential move.
A few hours before word of Howard’s condition spread, the team declared that defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah would be released. As Ogbah was cut before June 1, the Dolphins’ cap space was saved by roughly $14 million by waiving him. By waiting until beyond that date, they would have avoided paying the cap and saved $16 million.
With three years remaining on a five-year contract signed in 2022, Howard is a four-time Pro Bowler. As a free agent, he is expected to attract a lot of interest. The seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey will now be in a deep backfield, but the 31-year-old’s departure will shake things up. Ramsey was candid in his parting statement.
As for Ramsey, he remarked on X, the former Twitter, “It was an honor teaming up with the greatest corner in Miami Dolphins history.” “I won’t ever forgive you, dude, for not utilizing our full skillset!”
As Vic Fangio, the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins, is expected to take on a similar role with the Philadelphia Eagles, it would seem appropriate to bring this up now.
Shid be crazy how stuff plays out sometimes but 1 thing ikno fa sho is that it was an honor teaming up with the GREATEST corner in @MiamiDolphins History in my opinion… ❌🔒
(I won’t ever forgive dude for not utilizing our full skillset!) pic.twitter.com/yoYlTLcnP6
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) February 23, 2024
Before suffering a season-ending injury to his left foot during the previous season, Howard had a record of 45 tackles, one interception, and twelve pass deflections in 13 games under Fangio.
His 2024 salary of $15.4 million is not guaranteed, and after costing Miami $10 million in 2023 due to cap violations, his cap hit will soar to $26 million the following season.
Howard won’t likely be cut by the Dolphins until June 1. According to Over the Cap, if they make any changes any sooner, the team will be left with just $2.8 million in savings and $23 million in dead capital. Choosing to designate him as one of the two designated post-June 1 cuts instead results in $18.5 million in cap savings and $7.4 million in dead money for 2024.
After being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Dolphins, Howard has the longest contract on the squad. During his two seasons with the team, he twice led the NFL in interceptions.
