The Tennessee Titans have already shown they’re all-in on the 2021 season, so it makes sense for the team to at least inquire about a trade for Miami Dolphins star cornerback, Xavien Howard.
Howard, who is unhappy with his current contract, recently said he wants to be traded via a post on social media.
“I don’t feel valued, or respected, by the Dolphins. Just like they can take a business-first approach, so can I,” Howard said. “That’s why I want to make it clear I’m not happy, and have requested a trade.”
Howard made it clear that he isn’t exactly looking for a new deal, but rather more guaranteed money in his current one, a five-year deal worth $72.25 million ($27 million guaranteed) that he signed in 2019.
He also isn’t happy with the fact that he’s the second-highest paid corner on his own team despite being the best on the Dolphins’ roster, and one of the best in the NFL overall.
On Wednesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that two 2020 playoff teams have called the Dolphins about Howard, and while he didn’t say which ones, we hope the Titans were one of those teams.
Not only would Howard fortify a Titans unit that struggled mightily in 2020 and has several new pieces that are also question marks, but he’s a great fit with his prowess in man coverage, and an elite lockdown corner.
However, as much as we’d like Howard in Nashville to bolster Tennessee’s secondary and defense, bringing him aboard could prove to be too difficult a task.
Not only will the Titans likely have to give up multiple draft picks (and quite possibly a starter at one of Miami’s positions of need), but they’d also have to take on the remaining years of Howard’s deal and restructure it to provide more guaranteed cash.
That could be a problem for a Titans team that is already strapped for cap space, both this season and in the years ahead, because of some pricey offseason moves and/or contracts with money pushed to future years.
Not to mention, the Titans will have some expensive extensions to work out in the next few years, with players such as A.J. Brown and Jeffery Simmons approaching the end of their rookie contracts.
Regardless of all that, it would still be worth the picks and extra money to add a major impact player like Howard if the Titans are as all-in as they appear to be.
The good news is that Howard claimed he and his agent proposed avenues to get more guaranteed money that would be cap-friendly, so he is mindful of a team’s financial situation in his quest for more money.
“We wanted things to work out with the Dolphins, and brought solutions to the table — like guaranteeing more money — that we felt were win-wins for both sides. These were proposals of adjustments that wouldn’t just make me feel more respected, but were also cap friendly. But the Dolphins refused everything we proposed,” Howard wrote.
If something can be worked out financially, and the Titans can beat out what will likely be a slew of suitors falling over each other to get him, they absolutely should pull the trigger on a deal for Howard.
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