Star cornerback Xavien Howard is still a free agent, and the regular season is less than a week away. With the Miami Dolphins, Howard—who was selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft—became one of the most potent and aggressive defensive backs in the league very fast. Bestowed with a superb sense of ball placement, Howard twice held the league record for interceptions, appeared in four Pro Bowls, and was named to the First Team All-Pro following his outstanding 2020 campaign.
Due to Xavien Howard’s declining play in his age-30 season and his hefty salary cap burden, Miami was forced to cut him and allow him to become a free agency. Even though this was months ago, Howard hasn’t been able to find a new place to live. Although he’s not a great player right now, he’s still the best cornerback available because Adoree Jackson is in New York and Stephon Gilmore is in Minnesota. The Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers are the most likely destinations for Howard, who can still assist a secondary in need.
Chiefs and Panthers may sign free agent Xavien Howard.
There isn’t a single cornerback in the NFL that can replace L’Jarius Sneed in Kansas City’s defense. This does not, however, imply that the Chiefs’ secondary in 2024 will be subpar. One of the best players in the league is still Trent McDuffie, while Joshua Williams, a previous fourth-round selection, has performed admirably in his short time. Williams is now expected to start, thus Kansas City may want to add a free agent to add more depth to the secondary, such as Xavien Howard.
Although Xavien Howard is a free agent, he won’t have to be the Chiefs’ second-best cornerback to have an impact. He can be a good emergency starter. In an effort to stay up with Kansas City’s lightning-fast aerial assault, rival offenses will toss the ball frequently and early because of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. More defensive backs will be on the field for the majority of the season as the Chiefs almost certainly use nickel and dime packages. Howard’s ball-hawking skills should be a welcome addition to this defense, even if he plays in a supporting role.
The Cornerback Search in Carolina
In their quest for cornerbacks capable of starting, the Panthers are not stopping at any obstacles. The Panthers may need to look to Xavien Howard, another veteran, after just missing out on free agent Stephon Gilmore. When healthy, Jaycee Horn is dependable, but Carolina’s actions following roster reductions demonstrate how little confidence they have in their depth. When you like the players on your roster, you don’t add them off waivers, like the Panthers did with three cornerbacks.
The Panthers could require more experience in their secondary even if these players turn out to be effective. That is exactly what Xavien Howard possesses in plenty, and the free agent may play early in the season while serving as a coach on the field. Howard was the best at spotting balls when he was at his best, so maybe he can impart those instincts to Carolina’s young cornerback core.
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