The Miami Dolphins were pretty swift in acting to kill any momentum that this past week’s Xavien Howard trade speculation might have. Within an hour of a report running that the Dolphins were “fielding offers” for Howard, the Dolphins provided a quote to another outlet that emphatically indicated that the team was not looking to trade their standout cornerback. And, based on the results of him and Byron Jones playing on the field together, it is hard to blame them.

If the Miami Dolphins decide to roll this season with a top NFL duo at cornerback, they may well be able to make a significant push. But every player has their price, as does every general manager. And the Dolphins didn’t seem to have any intentions of trading OT Laremy Tunsil in 2019, either. Granted it was a very different situation for the team as they braced to roll into a rebuilding effort — 2020 is a year later and the team is clearly much improved.

But what would a team have to offer general manager Chris Grier in order for the Dolphins to take the offer seriously?

That’s a complicated question given the Dolphins have already paid Howard and he’s locked in for the foreseeable future. And as the cost of top cornerbacks skyrockets, Howard’s contract is only going to look more and more like a bargain for the next several seasons. Given Howard’s ball production, his positional value and the worth and length of his contract, you can make a strong argument that Howard is an attractive trade target…but he’s also an attractive asset for the Dolphins. And to pry him away from Miami at this point in time, as the secondary has become a clear identity piece of the team, means that anyone who wants him is going to have to get desperate to do so.

What would a team need to offer? Think big. Like Laremy Tunsil big. Miami would presumably invest whatever first big asset they get back for Howard in replacing him (or maybe Noah Igbinoghene could be that player). But multiple big assets would be the required price of admission for Miami to seriously sit down at the table and think about this scenario.

Which is why it isn’t very like to happen. And that’s just fine with us so long as Howard continues to play to the degree he has early on this season.

The Miami Dolphins have enjoyed having cornerback Xavien Howard available and at their disposal for each of Miami’s first five games this season. But now, Howard isn’t just back on the field, he’s back. Back to terrorizing pressured throws from opposing quarterbacks — plucking them away for momentum swinging turnovers. Back atop the NFL leaderboard in interceptions for 2020. And back atop the long-term NFL leaderboard for interceptions.

For the third consecutive week, Howard has logged a turnover by stealing a pass away from a target. For the second consecutive week, his interception came on a pressured throw that forced an inaccurate target — allowing Howard’s natural ball skills to shine as he attacked the ball in the air. Last week it was a D.K. Metcalf target in the end zone. Yesterday, Howard ran underneath an airmailed throw and help set Miami up for their sixth score of the first half against Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers.

According the the press release from the Dolphins’ communications department after Miami’s 43-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Howard has extended his lead for the most interceptions since December of 2017 by a sizable margin; he now has two more interceptions than anyone else in the league over that span of time.

1. Xavien Howard, MIA — 15
2. Kyle Fuller, CHI — 13
3. Marcus Peters, KC/LAR/BAL — 12
4. Kevin Byard, TEN — 11
T5. Quandre Diggs, DET/SEA — 10
T5. Tre’Davious White, BUF — 10
T5. Damontae Kazee, ATL — 10
T5. Marcus Williams, NO — 10

And remember, Howard has missed 15 games over that stretch of time, too. If he’s logging turnovers at this high of a rate while missing 15 of a 42 possible games played since December 2017, imagine what he may be able to do healthy for a full season this year — especially now that cornerback Byron Jones has returned to the lineup after missing nearly three full games with a groin injury. With Jones able to tackle the top receiver on opposing teams, Howard can be more free to trust his athleticism and attack the ball in the air when he’s targeted.

That’s bad news for everyone else but the best possible news for Miami. Xavien Howard has been here all season long, but he’s now officially back. 

Tick, tock.

That sound you hear is the 2020 NFL season creeping ever closer on the horizon. There’s been plenty of change this summer, which has disrupted the sense of football growing on the horizon — but make no mistake, it is nearly here. The Miami Dolphins will play their first football game of the season in less than three weeks, a date with the AFC East champion New England Patriots awaits them.

And with the arrival of football creeping up on it, it is just about time we ask ourselves whether or not cornerback Xavien Howard is going to be ready to go in time. These Miami Dolphins, under the direction of Brian Flores, like to refer to taking things one day at a time, but every day that passes us by now makes the likelihood of Howard taking the field with the Dolphins in Week 1 that much more of a long shot.

Howard not only is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he continues to rehab and recover from offseason surgery but he also spent time this month on the Dolphins’ COVID-19/reserve list, missing the first week of practice as a result. But even if Howard were available due to coronavirus protocols, he’d be limited in what he could participate in until he is cleared for activity. Howard’s week absence at this point is a double whammy — he not only missed a week of practice, he missed a week of therapy that would bring him closer to being able to practice.

The good news is that Howard was spotted at Dolphins practice on Saturday, working primarily on the side with trainers. But he’s now on the clock. The arrival of the 2020 season isn’t going to slow down. And Howard, at this point, feels like anything but a lock to be ready for it.

The Miami Dolphins announced yesterday that they have placed standout cornerback Xavien Howard on the reserve/COVID-19 list — making Howard the latest Dolphin to have either contracted or come into close contact with the virus. Howard has had a long offseason in all between the knee issues that ended his 2019 season early, the off the field conduct that resulted him him facing domestic violence charges and starting training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list due to that same troublesome knee.

We have placed CB Xavien Howard on the reserve/COVID-19 list. pic.twitter.com/blOd7oHn0e

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 11, 2020

Howard is the Dolphins’ second projected started to currently be on the list, joining offensive guard Ereck Flowers.

But Miami has seen plenty of players come on and off the reserve/COVID-19 list in short order — including LB Jerome Baker and DL Davon Godchaux. Most player stays on the list are short-lived, as anyone who comes into close contact with the virus is placed on the list until further testing can confirm whether that player is an active case or not.

As the Dolphins look to work towards their scheduled kickoff in early September, there is a certain feeling of inevitability that potential exposures will force teams to call audibles each week. But for now, Howard will look to pass testing procedures before returning to his rehab work at the team facility and hope that his knee will be ready to go for the start of the season next month.